News on the Smolny.
MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russian training ship The Smolny has checked out of the French port of St Nazaire and is heading for Kronstadt in the Gulf of Finland with more than 400 Russian sailors aboard, a source at the Russian Navy said on Thursday. The sailors have received a course of training in St Nazaire in how to operate the Mistrals.
“At 12:00 hours Moscow Standard Time /09:00 hours GMT/ more than 400 Russian Navy servicemen making up the crews of two Mistrals left French port aboard the Smolny ship and are heading for Kronstadt,” he said.
The Russian crew of the helicopter carrier may return to the France if Paris eventually decides to turn the ship over to Russia, the source told TASS.
TASS: World - Russian crews trained for Mistral ships leave French port ? Russian Navy source