Mistral ships where they are. The meaning of the word mistral in a large modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. Dimensions of the helicopter carrier Mistral

06.03.2023

She expressed interest in buying French Mistrals. But in the end, due to the crisis in Ukraine, the deal to buy already built ones remained on paper. What happened to them next?

"Special" aircraft carrier

"Mistral" is a helicopter carrier, a type of aircraft-carrying ships, designed both to carry helicopters and to carry out landing operations. On a huge ship, the length of which is almost 200 meters, and the displacement can reach up to 30 thousand tons, 16 helicopters, 70 combat vehicles, as well as several hundred infantrymen can simultaneously be located. Another purpose of the Mistrals is a full-fledged hospital on the water. Russian sailors who visited one of the built ships in 2014 said that the helicopter carrier has all the necessary medical equipment, including dental and surgical equipment. Sufficiently comfortable conditions have been created for the crew. Ordinary sailors live in four-bed cabins with shower and toilet. Officers of lower and middle rank - in double, and senior commanders - in single cabins.

For the Russian fleet

Negotiations on the Mistrals for Russia began in 2009, and the next year Moscow and Paris reached an agreement on the terms of the contract. In accordance with the agreements, the first two ships were to be built at French shipyards and the same number at Russian ones. Thus, our Navy had to acquire four helicopter carriers, which were supposed to provide air support to the fleet to replace the aging aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. In 2012, the laying of the first Mistral for our fleet - Vladivostok - took place, and the construction of the second - Sevastopol - began a year later. The contract amount was 1.2 billion euros. It was planned to send both ships to permanent service in the Pacific Fleet. Initially, everything went well: helicopter carriers were quickly built, Russia formed crews, and France was preparing to receive money. However, in connection with the annexation of Crimea and the situation in eastern Ukraine, the United States and Great Britain demanded that France suspend the transfer of Mistrals to Russia. For almost a year, the situation was in limbo, until in July 2015, Paris announced the final break in the deal with Moscow.

On the African coast

The French were not particularly upset, because even then Egypt showed an active interest in buying ships. Paris and Cairo agreed on the terms of the deal as quickly as possible, and already in June 2016, the Mistrals set off for Alexandria, having previously taken part in joint naval maneuvers between the two countries. In the country of the pyramids, helicopter carriers received new names, the ships were named after the former presidents of Egypt. Vladivostok became Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Sevastopol became Anwar Sadat. Russia did not remain in the overlay either. Since these Mistrals were created specifically for the needs of domestic vehicles, Cairo bought 50 Ka-52k and Ka-29/31 helicopters from Moscow. Well, already this year, both Mistrals began to take an active part in the anti-terrorist operation against the Islamists in Sinai. Helicopters based on ships are engaged in operations to clean up the coast of the peninsula. Currently, judging by the latest news, the Gamal Abdel Nasser helicopter carrier is participating in naval military exercises together with the Meduza-6 units of Cyprus and Greece. With its help, the interaction of ground, air and sea forces during landing operations is practiced. Thus, the former "Vladivostok" and "Sevastopol" are actively used in their new homeland for their intended purpose.

The government of the Russian Federation in 2008 was extremely interested in acquiring French universal landing ships of the Mistral type. Unfortunately, due to the Ukrainian crisis, the deal had to be left only on paper, despite the fact that the ships had already been built.

What is Mistral

The French-made ship is designed directly to carry aircraft, namely helicopters. Also, the ship is fully suitable for organizing landing operations.

As for the technical characteristics, the aircraft carrier can simultaneously have:

16 helicopters;
70 units of military equipment;

Dimensions of the ship "Mistral":

The length is 199 meters;
Width - 32 meters;
Flight deck height from sea level - 27 meters;
Draft of the ship with a displacement of 22.6 thousand tons - 6.42 meters;
Maximum speed 18.5 knots;
The crew of the ship - 177 people;
The number of passengers is 481 people.

An important fact is that a full-fledged marine hospital can be located on the ship. The Russian military, who visited one of the Mistrals, said that there is a complete set of medical equipment - everything for dentistry, surgery and more.

Also worth noting is the comfort inside the ship. Ordinary sailors are located in 4-bed cabins, where there is a bathroom and shower. Officers of the middle and lower ranks live in 2-bed cabins. Senior officers - in single cabins.

The role of the Russian fleet

France and Russia began active negotiations on the supply of Mistral aircraft carriers back in 2009. At the same time, all the conditions of the future contract were achieved. Then it was said about the construction of 4 ships. Two were to be built by France at their shipyards, and 2 more - already on the territory of the Russian Federation.

In 2012, the foundation was laid for the first ship of the Mistral class, it was called Vladivostok. A year later, the construction of the second ship, the Sevastopol, began. The total amount of the contract was estimated at 1.2 billion euros. These ships were to be sent to serve in the Pacific Fleet.

All constructions were carried out according to plans, and nothing prevented Russia from getting new ships on time. However, due to the situation in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation, America and Great Britain began to demand that France stop the transfer of Mistrals.

The situation with aircraft carriers was uncertain, but in July 2015 the French government announced the termination of the contract with Russia.

"Mistral" off the coast of Africa

Great interest in the Mistral-class ships was shown in Egypt. An agreement between Cairo and Paris was reached in the shortest possible time. In June 2016, the aircraft carriers headed for Alexandria. It is worth noting that the two countries jointly held naval exercises with new ships.

For two ships, the Egyptian authorities came up with their own names, naming them in honor of 2 former presidents.

Russia did not suffer losses in this deal. The reason is simple - France was developing the Mistral ships for Russian technology, so Cairo had to buy 50 helicopters from Moscow.

MISTRAL

Cold north or northwest wind blowing in winter and spring on the south coast of France.

Large modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. 2012

How "Mistral" is "French"?

The Mistral UDKV project was born thanks to the efforts of the General Delegation for Armaments (Délégation Générale pour l'Armement) and the French state defense company DCNS (Direction des Constructions Navales) with the involvement of a number of foreign contractors:
– Finnish Wärtsilä (ship diesel generators),
- the Swedish branch of Rolls-Royce (Azipod-type rudder propellers),
- Polish Stocznia Remontowa de Gdańsk (blocks of the middle part of the hull forming a helicopter hangar).

The development of the combat information system and means of detecting the ship was entrusted to the international industrial group Thales Group - the world leader in the development of electronic systems for aerospace, military and marine equipment. The self-defense air defense system was supplied by the European company MBDA.

The multinational format of the project does not bother the French at all - a single European space with a single currency, living according to uniform laws and rules. General goals and objectives. The fleet is being built according to uniform NATO standards.

But, most surprisingly, the project is not limited to the European continent: the threads of this story stretch far to the east, to South Korea's Gyeongsangnam-do. Where the headquarters of STX Corporation is located.

"Mistrals" for the French Navy were costed according to the following scheme: the UDC corps was eventually formed from two large sections - bow and stern. Aft and superstructure "Mistral" was built at DCNS' own facilities with the participation of many subcontractors: the skeleton of the standing ship was regularly towed from one French shipyard to another, where it was gradually saturated with equipment.

The main part of the assembly work was carried out in Brest, the Rolls-Royce Maumeid engines and propellers were assembled in Lorient. The final saturation of the finished section of the hull, the installation of electronics and radio systems were carried out by specialists from the shipyard in Toulon. In total, DCNS accounted for about 60% of the work performed.

The bow of the landing helicopter carrier was built in Saint-Nazaire, at the famous shipyard "Chantiers de l'Atlantique", owned at that time by the French industrial giant Alstom. This place has become the cradle for the most impressive projects in the field of large-tonnage shipbuilding - the legendary Queen Mary 2 liner set off from here. Here, in the 70s, a series of Batillus-type supertankers with a deadweight of more than half a million tons was built! The bows of each of the .

In 2006, the Chantier de l'Atlantique shipyard was taken over by the Norwegian industrial group Aker Yards. However, soon, in 2009, the shipyard, like the entire Aker Yards group, was absorbed by the South Korean corporation STX. The third ship of the Mistral type - Dixmude (L9015) - was already being completed by the Koreans.

Mistral helicopter carriers were built by the whole world. France with the participation of Poland, Sweden, Finland ... - the whole European Union is together! At French and South Korean shipyards. Despite such a complex industrial chain and a huge number of foreign contractors, the new UDC, in general, met the expectations of the French Navy command - a universal and relatively cheap means for delivering humanitarian aid and expeditionary units to Africa and the Middle East.

For example, the Diximud UDC took part in Operation Serval (suppression of unrest in Mali, 2013), delivering units of the 92nd Infantry Regiment from France to the African continent.

"Mistral" - a ship without a Motherland

With the French Mistrals, everything is extremely obvious - the ships were built by the joint efforts of the partner countries. Close economic, political and military ties between the countries of the Eurozone and even such a distant, but in fact close, Republic of Korea are beyond doubt. Uniform international standards and transnational companies erase the borders of states, uniting the scientific and industrial potential of many countries under their control.

But where and how are the UDC "Vladivostok" and "Sevastopol" built - two landing helicopter carriers intended for the Russian Navy?

According to the contract, which has become the largest military deal between Russia and Western countries since the end of World War II, in 2014 and 2015 the Russian Navy should be replenished with two imported Russian-French-built UDCs. From words quickly moved to deeds:

On February 1, 2012, cutting of metal for the first ship, called Vladivostok, began in Saint-Nazaire. On October 1 of the same year, work began at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg - according to the contract, domestic shipbuilders must build 20% of the helicopter carrier's aft sections.

It is not difficult to guess that the South Korean STX has become the general contractor - it is she, with the support of the French defense company DCNS and a number of third-party suppliers, who is building helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy at the Chantier de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire.

On June 26, 2013, the Baltic Shipyard completed the planned scope of work on time, launching the stern of the new Mistral - a month later, the stern section was safely delivered to Saint-Nazaire for subsequent docking with the main part of the ship.

October 15, 2013 landing ship "Vladivostok" was officially launched. After completion of all work at the French shipyard, it will move to the outfitting wall of the Severnaya Verf plant (St. Petersburg) for the final saturation with domestic equipment.

It is expected that the new helicopter carrier will become part of the Russian Navy in late 2014 - early 2015. Less than three years from the date of bookmarking! An unprecedented result for domestic shipbuilding, where one frigate can be built for 8 years.

The second ship of the "Russian series" - "Sevastopol" - was laid down on June 18, 2013. It will be built according to a similar scheme, with the only difference that the Baltic Shipyard will provide the construction of 40% of the UDC building. The ship should enter service before the end of 2015.

Also, the agreement between Russia and France includes options for the construction of the third and fourth helicopter carriers under license at their own industrial facilities - it is assumed that a new shipyard will be built for these purposes on about. Kotlin. But, as it became known in late 2012, plans to exercise these options were postponed from 2013 to 2016, giving the whole story a hazy shade of uncertainty.

Among the suppliers and contractors in the global industrial chain are: the Russian United Shipbuilding Corporation (OSK), the state defense company DCNS, the Chantier de l'Atlantic shipyard of the South Korean company STX, the Finnish Wärtsilä and the Swedish division of Rolls-Royce (power plants and propulsion). The participation of the Thales Group is extremely important - the equipment and systems supplied by this company are of the greatest interest to the Russian military-industrial complex (first of all, the Zenit-9 combat information and control system).

Also, the Russian helicopter carrier is promised to be equipped with Vampir-NG infrared search and sighting systems from the French company Sagem. Despite the abundance of foreign equipment, the French promise to carry out a complete Russification of all ship systems in order to avoid any problems during its operation in the Russian Navy.

The air group will be represented by domestic transport-combat helicopters Ka-29 and strike vehicles. The first of the Russian "Mistrals" will have to be equipped with French-made speed boats - the layout and dimensions of the docking chamber were initially calculated according to the dimensions of NATO equipment. Therefore, the effective deployment of existing Russian-made landing craft inside the Mistral is not possible. However, this is not the biggest problem, besides, it was successfully solved.

Counting the number of subcontractors who took part in the creation of a helicopter carrier for the Russian Navy, you can sing "Internationale" - the French landing ship turned out to be, in fact, "Noah's Ark", which absorbed technologies and participants from all over the world. And we have to admit: the project was 100% successful.

Despite the angry accusations of "wasting" public funds, the Mistrals turned out to be VERY cheap. 600 million euros (800 million dollars) for each combat unit - even taking into account all the additional procedures associated with fine-tuning the ship's systems, testing it and eliminating the identified shortcomings - the cost of the Mistral will not exceed a billion dollars. This is an incredible amount from the point of view of the average Russian. But mere pennies by the standards of modern shipbuilding.

800 million dollars - for that kind of money now you can’t even build a normal destroyer. American cost the Pentagon 1.8-2 billion dollars apiece. The cost of a small Russian, according to the Main Command of the Navy, can reach 560 million dollars (18 billion rubles)!

In this case, we have a large helicopter carrier with a displacement of 20,000 tons. In addition, it was built in an extremely short time - the result is obvious, and it is difficult to notice any corruption component here. It is not possible to build something like this for a lower price.

"Mistral" - features of operation

Fears that the Mistral will not be able to operate at temperatures below +7 degrees Celsius are completely unfounded.

Russia, along with Scandinavia and Canada, are undoubtedly the northernmost countries in the world. But let me know how this relates to the "Mistral"? No one talks about its deployment in the Far North - Russia, fortunately, is monstrously large and we have enough other locations with more adequate natural and climatic conditions. Novorossiysk. The weather forecast for December 1 is plus 12°С. Subtropics.

Vladivostok is colder. Crimean latitude, Kolyma longitude. However, even there, the operation of the UDC should not encounter any critical difficulties - the operational zone of the Pacific Fleet includes the entire Asia-Pacific region and the Indian Ocean, where, as you know, the temperature rarely drops below + 7 ° Celsius.

"Mistral" is not suitable for operations in the Arctic. But there is simply nothing for him to do. But there is something to do in the Mediterranean and other southern seas.

Statements about the non-compliance of the infrastructure of the bases and the standards of domestic diesel fuel with European standards are not worth the candle. "Mistral" is not as big as it is presented - for example, it is smaller than the nuclear cruiser "Peter the Great". The length of a helicopter carrier is only 35 meters longer than the length of an average BOD or destroyer. The empty displacement of this "ferry" with unloaded air wing, boats, equipment, stocks of weapons and fuel should not exceed 15 thousand tons.

UDC "Diximud" (L9015) compared with a frigate of the type "Lafayette" (full military force 3600 tons)

The only problem may be related to the maintenance of Azipod rudder propellers. In principle, this issue should have been addressed to ship repair centers in the Baltic and in the North, however, not so long ago plans were outlined to build a large shipbuilding enterprise in the Far East in cooperation with South Korea - by the time the Mistrals arrive should be decided.

UDC "Mistral" two times smaller in size than Soviet aircraft-carrying cruisers - let's hope that he will not repeat their fate and will receive all the necessary coastal infrastructure in time.

As for the inconsistency of domestic brands and grades of fuels and lubricants with high-tech engines of the Mistral ... Whom will you surprise now with "outlandish" imported equipment - Finnish diesel generators from the company "Värtisla"?

The most formidable accusations against the French "ferries" are their low combat potential and absolute uselessness within the framework of the defensive concept of the use of the domestic Navy. The "cabin carrier" itself needs high-quality cover from the sea and from the air and is not able to participate in a naval battle. Full stroke 18 knots. Instead of serious self-defense systems - MANPADS and machine guns. Powerful radar facilities? Sonar? Impact weapons? Anti-submarine missile torpedoes? None of this exists and cannot be - that's why such a low price for such a large ship. From the navy's point of view, the Mistral is an empty box.. The presence of 16 helicopters no longer means anything in modern combat - the Ka-52 is not a competitor to a fighter-bomber.

But as soon as you open the news binder for 2013 - where and what the Russian Navy does - everything immediately falls into place. "Mistral" is not suitable for combating the "probable enemy" AUG, but it is ideally suited to the tasks of ensuring the presence of the Russian Navy in the expanses of the oceans. A large ship with a monumental appearance and modern design, capable of being “on the front line” for months - off the coast of Syria or wherever required. Comfortable quarters for a Marine battalion. Cargo deck for armored vehicles. Helicopters. If necessary, you can deliver "humanitarian aid" to the allies - and in a variety of ways. The neoversion of the Soviet BDK!

In general, the verdict is positive. The only really worthwhile question is: could the Russian Navy do without buying these ships? Experts of various levels agree that the purchase of Mistrals is far from the most rational decision. We still have enough BDK from the "Soviet backlog". New ones are being built project 11711 "Ivan Gren". But there is a critical shortage of warships of ranks I and II - cruisers, destroyers, frigates. So much so that you have to collect the Mediterranean squadron from all four fleets.

Finally, if our specialists were so eager to get acquainted with "advanced" Western technologies, it was possible to purchase equipment more interesting than the French "ferry". Even with the Zenit-9 CICS and Vampir-NG IR sensors.

For example, it would be interesting to see close up the Franco-Italian frigate (destroyer) of the Horizon type - the most powerful and advanced air defense ship in the world after the British Daring. If the Horizon turned out to be too secret, a non-nuclear submarine of the Skopren type with a Stirling engine could come up as a “demonstrator” of new technologies. That is, to see something that we have no analogues yet. The French (DCNS) and the Spaniards (Navantia) are happy to build such equipment for export: for the fleets of India, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile ...

Alas, the interests of the sailors remained in the shadow of geopolitical intrigues. We chose . So grab it quickly, without further ado! So far, the allocated funds have not gone offshore.

Moreover, the boat really seems to be not bad.

The pearl of the French Navy, which was dubbed the “Swiss knife” for its versatility, should be sold to Russia in the amount of four pieces. Neighboring countries are concerned.

"Mistral"

"Honor" and "Motherland". These two mottos are emblazoned on the deck of the ship. Standing on the captain's bridge, it seems that you are at the top of the tower. Its length is 200 meters, weight is 21,000 tons, and despite this, it floats. This is the Mistral, the largest French warship after the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. One of the pearls of the French navy, which makes countries turn pale with envy, seeking to gain influence and military authority. The massive gray ship looks like a giant shoebox floating heavily on the waves. Sometimes its belly opens like a whale's mouth and takes in boats and military equipment. It is so strong that it can carry 16 heavy helicopters, 4 landing barges and 70 vehicles, including 13 Leclerc tanks. And also place a crew of 650 people on board.

Its code name is BPC (from "batiment de projection et de commandement" - "helicopter carrier landing ship"). It is also called the "Swiss knife". Indeed, with a crew of 177 people, he can do anything. Landing troops in the theater of operations, transporting battle tanks, being the site of an integrated command post, a means to intimidate pirates ... It is very mobile, has amphibious properties, and a hospital is equipped on board: two operating rooms, 69 beds, an X-ray room and tomograph. He is part of a "family" of three French helicopter carriers; the other two are the Tonnerre, which entered service in 2007, and the under construction and upcoming Dixmude.

In the command center with an area of 800 sq. m. computers are now connected to a secret NATO network, in preparation for the upcoming NATO exercises in Denmark. In the combat compartment, giant screens show the situation at sea in the exercise area in real time. The controls on the Mistral are so powerful that the ship can coordinate the actions of large naval aviation forces involving several aircraft carriers in real time.

It was these characteristics that aroused the interest of the Kremlin. The Russians, reforming their armed forces and wanting to expand the tactical capabilities of their navy, want to buy four Mistral ships. The deck of the French amphibious assault ship is indeed strong enough to withstand the enormous weight of Russian helicopters. It is smaller in size than its American counterparts and less expensive. In the European market for landing helicopter carriers, the French ship has won a leading position. Even the British do not have such a versatile warship. Invited to the Mistral on the occasion of the French Navy Day, naval attache at the Russian Embassy in Paris, Alexander Dryagin, in a round cap worn by Russian sailors, similar to an umbrella screwed to his head, holding a glass of champagne, which he finds "not strong enough" drink, nods his head. "We are very interested in the versatility of this ship. In Russia, we do not have a ship equipped with both a command center and a hospital. And if we want to build them ourselves, we will need twice as much time."

For the French side, this sale will revive the shipyards in Saint-Nazaire, where one or two Mistrals can be built. They say that French Defense Minister Herve Morin (Herve Morin) personally defended this project in conversations with the head of state. If the sale goes through, it would be the first such transfer of technology by a NATO country to Russia. Both in the Elysee Palace and in the War Department, they make a shocking argument: the Cold War is over, the "double standards" towards Moscow must be discarded, "Russia must be treated as a strategic partner and no longer seen as a threat."

These arguments did not convince everyone. Over the course of months, the Mistral even became a "ship of discord." Russia's neighbors are concerned about the possible implications for their security. "The Mistral is a strategic ship that will enhance Russia's ability to conduct amphibious operations in the Black and Baltic Seas, as well as in more remote regions, all the way to Asia," explains one French admiral. Russia's new military doctrine, published a few weeks ago, speaks of NATO expansion as one of the main threats to Russia.

Less than two years after the Georgian war in August 2008, with South Ossetia and Abkhazia still out of Tbilisi’s control, Georgia is all the less understandable for France’s gesture that then EU chairman Nicolas Sarkozy loudly claimed that he prevented Russia from reaching the Georgian capital. From Mikheil Saakashvili's point of view, the sale of the Mistral is a "very risky" undertaking. At the end of 2009, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Vladimir Vysotsky, commented on his country's purchase of a French ship: such a ship would allow the Black Sea Fleet to win the war in Georgia in 2008 "in forty minutes instead of twenty-six hours."

But it is not only the Georgians who are worried. The Baltic countries were annexed by the USSR during World War II. They gained independence only in 1991, and Russian troops were withdrawn from there only three years later. "I'm not sure that the best way to turn the page of the Cold War is to trade weapons from the Hot War," Latvian Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins said recently.

Even in Russia, the reaction to the purchase of Mistrals is ambiguous. "This issue has caused controversy in Moscow. Many military leaders would prefer to build helicopter carriers themselves," Marie Mendras, head of the political planning group at the French Foreign Ministry, explained during a seminar recently organized by the Strategic Studies Foundation (FRS). This is a matter of national pride... "Mistral" is huge, but very comfortable. He is very conspicuous. It will be difficult to cover him. But in the end, we had the money, but we didn’t have the technology to build it ourselves, so…,” says Alexander Dryagin, half-skeptical, half-submissive. But the case is not closed yet. March 25 the French defense minister assured that the Mistrals would be delivered without military equipment. This was out of the question, replied Nikolai Makarov, chief of the Russian General Staff. He warned that his country would buy them "only fully equipped - with all means control, navigation and armament".

"Realpolitik"

In addition to economic and military interests, the sale of Mistrals is of great political importance. Nicolas Sarkozy recalls that the West needs Russia to resolve international crises. Paris also wants to appease Russia, which is a major energy supplier. "Some want to restore a kind of "rear alliance", similar to what took place between France and Russia in 1891 to prevent the German threat. This applies to "realpolitik". But what to do if it is carried out to the detriment of Georgia. Russia us closer than China. We need to have long-term concepts for developing relations with it," says one of the Navy officials, who shares the pro-Russian choice of the Elysee Palace. "Mistral" in exchange for tightening the Kremlin's position on the Iranian nuclear dossier? Be that as it may, Dmitry Medvedev said while in Paris in February that the Mistral would become a "symbol of trust" between the two countries.

This approach is shared by some American leaders. US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates officially expressed his doubts about the sale of Mistral to Russia during his recent visit to Paris. But he also said that this was not a problem from a military point of view, and did not insist on his position. Gen. James Jones, US national security adviser, recently confirmed to Figaro that "there is no serious disagreement between France and the US" on this issue. "We ourselves have begun an active warming of relations with Russia. Therefore, I do not think that this issue should cause us any strong concern." General Jones added that neither he nor President Obama raised the issue with Nicolas Sarkozy. Even NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen recently said that he considers it a "success" that Mistrals cannot serve to attack one of Russia's neighbors...

Upon arriving at the White House, Obama promised to "reset" relations with Russia. The presidential team needs the Kremlin to move forward on nuclear disarmament and encourage Moscow to approve tougher sanctions against Iran in the UN Security Council, where Russia has veto power. You have to pay for this. And Georgia can become the one who pays. Dialogue with Moscow seems to be more important now than friendship with Tbilisi, where Washington's support is waning. As for the prospect of Georgia joining NATO, it is very distant.

Moscow remains a regional power

From this point of view, it is not very important that the French managed to achieve the construction of only one or two Mistrals in Saint-Nazaire ... The rest will have to be assembled at the Severnaya Verf near St. Petersburg, owned by Russian billionaire Sergei Pugachev, Alexander's father, the new owner of France Soir... It seems that all this was decided a long time ago, since France Soir spoke about this already in one of the articles published in the issue of September 24, 2009, even before the release of its updated version...

For now, the controversial sale of the Mistral reminds countries in the region that militarily, Moscow remains a regional power. The purchase of French ships will also allow Russia to increase its international prestige. Marie Mendra warns: "It is not good to maintain the illusion of the restoration of the Russian zone of influence in neighboring countries. These countries have always been attracted to the European Union, and they know that Russia will not become a guarantor of their security." On the contrary, she says, it will be necessary to "more boldly develop our relations with these countries and develop long-term concepts in this area."