Azerbaijani, Iranian combat ships to participate in Russia’s naval parade on Caspian Sea

Russia’s Caspian Flotilla is holding a final rehearsal of the naval parade in Kaspiysk on the Caspian Sea and the event that will take place on July 31 will also involve warships of the Azerbaijani and Iranian navies for the first time, a TASS correspondent reported from the scene.

"As a major attraction of this year, the event will bring together ships of the Azerbaijani and Iranian navies, which have arrived for the first time over many years as part of the joint celebrations of Navy Day," Caspian Flotilla Deputy Commander for Military-Political Work Captain 1st Rank Sergey Rakauskas told reporters, according to TASS. 

This year, the naval parade in Kaspiysk on the Caspian Sea will bring together 26 combat ships and gunboats, 15 support vessels, over 900 personnel and four aircraft. The parade formation will include the missile ships Tatarstan and Dagestan, the small artillery ships Grad Sviyazhsk, Uglich and Stupinets, the hydrographic survey boat Nikolay Ivashintsov, the harbour minesweepers Magomed Gadzhiyev and Herman Ugryumov and the anti-saboteur boat Yunarmeyets Dagestana, the Caspian Flotilla’s press office reported.

As the press office of Russia’s Southern Military District earlier reported, the Caspian Flotilla will demonstrate its combat capabilities at sea and on the shore during the naval parade. Naval sailors will demonstrate about 10 combat episodes, among them thwarting an attempt to violate the state border, breaching a minefield and conducting a naval battle with a simulated enemy.

In addition, the mariners will demonstrate delivering a missile strike against a notional enemy’s key facilities, rendering assistance to a ship in distress, conducting anti-amphibious assault defence, landing an amphibious assault force and battling for landing on the shore.

Kaspiysk residents and guests will be able to view a static exposition of the Caspian Flotilla’s armaments and military hardware. The naval celebrations will be concluded by festive fireworks.