Russian ship joins NATO anti-terror operation in Mediterranean

Russian ship joins NATO anti-terror operation in Mediterranean (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, August 13, 2008 - A Russian Black Sea Fleet warship has joined a NATO-led counter-terror operation in the Mediterranean, the fleet's press service said on Wednesday. "The Ladny [a Krivak-class guided missile frigate] of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has moored at Akzas Karagac, a Turkish naval base, thus starting its participation in Operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean," the service said. NATO's Operation Active Endeavor was launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Under the operation, NATO ships and aircraft monitor and escort shipping across the Mediterranean to prevent terrorist activity. Russia joined the operation in 2005 and also regularly participates in the Black Sea Harmony counterterrorist operations in the Black Sea. After Operation Active Endeavor, the Ladny will take part in IONIEX-2008 bilateral exercises with the Italian navy. In 2007, Russian naval ships took part in nine joint exercises with foreign navies, including Blackseafor with Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Georgia, and Open Spirit 2007, involving Germany, Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belgium, France, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia.