http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081211/118800449.html
*Russian warship to visit Nicaragua on Dec. 12-15* *MOSCOW*, December 11 (RIA Novosti) - *Russia's Admiral Chabanenko missile destroyer *and two support ships will pay a visit to Nicaragua from Friday through Monday, a Navy spokesman said on Thursday. "After crossing the Panama Canal, the Admiral Chabanenko and two support ships will visit the port of Bluefields in Nicaragua on December 12-15," Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said. The Udaloy class destroyer made a round trip through the Panama Canal on December 6, becoming the first Russian or Soviet warship to enter the waterway since World War II, and is currently anchored at the Rodman Naval Station in Panama. The destroyer also participated last week in the VenRus-2008 joint Russian-Venezuelan naval exercise in the southern Caribbean as part of a task force from the Northern Fleet, led by the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky. (Nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky visits Toulon- Image Gallery) Dygalo earlier said that Russia currently has three naval task groups on tours of duty in the world's oceans. Another naval task force from the Northern Fleet, comprising the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and the Admiral Levchenko missile destroyer, as well as two support ships, began last Friday a tour of duty in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, a task force from Russia's Pacific Fleet, comprising the Admiral Vinogradov, an Udaloy class missile destroyer, a tugboat, and two tankers, left its main base in Vladivostok on Tuesday to take part in joint naval drills with the Indian navy in the Indian Ocean. Russia announced last year that its Navy had resumed and would build up a constant presence throughout the world's oceans. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
