Photo Reconnaissance ship British Navy went to the port of OdessaPhoto: Duma

This is the first ship of the NATO, who is staying in Ukraine after the incident in the Kerch Strait

19.12.18 157000

Intelligence ship HMS Echo, the Royal Navy arrived in the port of Odessa about ten o’clock in the morning of December 19. This writes the Duma.

By eleven he was already moored at the pontoon pier of the yacht club “Odessa”. Visit HMS Echo is in the framework of agreements between Ukraine and great Britain, which was achieved on 21 November, 2018 during a visit to London the Minister of defence of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak.

Ship the Royal Navy will stay in Odessa for a few days. After the visit there will be maneuvers of the type PASSEX with the flagship of the naval forces of Ukraine frigate “Hetman Sahaidachny”.

Photo: Duma

Earlier, the British Ministry of defence stated that the ship will remain in the Black sea “a long period”, however, the Convention regarding the regime of the Straits (the Montreux Convention) limits the stay of warships nachimovsky States in the Black sea 21 days. Perhaps at the end of this period HMS Echo will replace its sister ship HMS Enterprise.

The ship is designed to conduct intelligence operations in support of submarines or amphibious ships. Can provide information in real-time and serve as a platform for the management of demining tasks.

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HMS Echo adopted in March 2003. The displacement of about 4,000 tons. Speed of 15 knots. The crew of 72 people.

For long-term stay in one point include the so-called azimuth thrusters. The armament consists of three 7.62 mm six-barreled M134 Minigun machine guns, two 20 mm rapid-fire anti-aircraft guns “Oerlikon” and four heavy machine guns.

We will remind, the Military Prosecutor of the southern region of Ukraine reported on suspicion and declared wanted by eight Russian military, participated in the capture of the Ukrainian Navy ships and their crew members in the Kerch Strait on November 25.