Following extract taken from Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) website. Translated by Old Crow and submitted to MT's Milcom Blog for information and interest. Date of article 2 October 2006.
A Large Landing Ship - the Yamal - of the Black Sea Fleet has left Sevastopol' for the Mediterranean. The Yamal left Sevastopol' on the 2nd October and set course for the Mediterranean. Rear Admiral Evgenij Khalajchev, Assistant to the Commander of the Black Sea Fleet has been designated as Commander for this deployment. During the deployment, the ship will carry out a number of visits to Greek ports. These include Kerkira: - in memory of events of 1799 when Russian sailors under the command of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, liberated the island of Corfu from foreign aggressors. Additionally to mark "Russian Week in Corfu"; Patry (?), Pilos - where the ship's crew will participate in ceremonial parade on the occasion of the anniversary of the battle of Navarin, in the course of which, a united squadron beat off Turkish-Egyptian naval forces during the Greek national uprising 1821-1829; in addition, the Russian sailors will visit Piraeus, where they will pay military honours to their countrymen who are interred in the Russian memorial cemetery.