According to reports from the state news agency TASS, the training ship Smolny of the Baltic Fleet arrived at the port of La Guaira, Venezuela. This marked the second visit by Russian Navy ships to Venezuela in less than two months. Eduard Sokolov, Russia’s business representative in Venezuela, and representatives of the Bolivarian Navy attended the welcoming ceremony.
The Deputy Commander of the Bolivarian Navy, Vice Admiral Edward Centeno, expressed his pleasure in welcoming “the fraternal naval ships of Russia.” He also stated that a “stay program in Venezuela was prepared for its crew, which includes visits to historical sites in the administrative center of the state of La Guaira and cultural and sporting events,” indicating that this appears to be a protocol visit with several days of stay.
It is worth noting that at the beginning of July, after completing a visit to Havana in June, the Russian Navy flotilla operating in the Caribbean Sea, led by the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, arrived in Venezuela. After departing from Cuba, the Admiral Gorshkov and the Project 23130 tanker Pashin arrived in Venezuela on July 2nd at the port of La Guaira, a situation similar to the one recently reported.
More than a month after the previously mentioned arrival of the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the nuclear-powered Yasen-M class submarine Kazan in Cuba, it was reported that the Russian Navy deployed a new flotilla towards the Caribbean Sea, specifically to the port of Havana. Led by the frigate Neustrashimy of the Baltic Fleet, the flotilla was composed of the patrol ship “NEUSTRASHIMY,” the offshore tanker “YELNYA,” and the training ship “SMOLNY,” which arrived in Venezuela this week.
The training ship “Smolny” was laid down on April 23, 1974, and launched on January 8, 1976, entering service on June 30 of the same year with the Baltic Fleet. It is equipped with modern radio and navigation equipment and combat weapons, although its primary focus is on training purposes: the crew includes 12 officers and 120 sailors, and it can carry about 30 instructors and 300 students on board. The ship is 138 meters long, 17.2 meters wide, and has a draft of 5.5 meters, with a standard displacement of 6,120 tons.
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