Russia says its ships rescued foreign vessel in Mediterranean Sea

The Russian Defence Ministry has said that two Russian military ships have rescued 68 passengers from a "wrecked" foreign vessel in the Mediterranean Sea.

"The crews of the frigate Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov of the Northern Fleet, which is assigned to the Russian Navy's permanent detachment in the Mediterranean Sea, and the cargo ship Pizhma, which it escorted, rescued 68 passengers of the foreign ship Avalon, which was in distress in Greek territorial waters last night," the ministry said in Telegram post on June 19.

The Admiral Gorshkov frigate "was the first to receive a distress signal from the yachtship Avalon, flying the flags of Germany and Greece, while en route to the port of Tartus in the southern Aegean Sea, after which the Russian ships changed course and immediately began to cross into the area of distress," the report added.

"The rescue mission was a success. People from the wrecked vessel were evacuated aboard the Pizhma, where they were given medical care and taken to Kalymnos Bay for transfer to Greek Coast Guard cutters," the ministry added.