2nd NATO Mediterranean group frigates in Odessa: Spanish BLAS DE LEZO and Turkish SALIHREIS - exclusively photos by BSN

15:39 26.07.2013

Ukraine

Spanish frigate (F103) BLAS DE LEZO and Romanian frigate (F111) MARASESTI, Odessa, 2013-07-20 Photo: Vladimir TROFIMOV

Andrei KLIMENKO,
Vladimir TROFIMOV (photos), BSNews.

According to our Odessa reporter – famous marine photographer Vladimir Trofimov – Spanish and Turkish frigates, taking part in NATO and Bulgarian Navy exercises Breeze 2013, conducted in Varna on July 6-15, 2013 at the same time with Odessa Sea Breeze, arrived to Odessa on Saturday, July 20, 2013, between 15.00 and 16.00.

We are speaking about the Spanish frigate (F103) BLAS DE LEZO and Turkish frigate (F246) SALIHREIS.

Both vessels are the basis of the 2^nd NATO permanent navy Mediterranean group (SNMG-2), and the Spanish frigate under the flag of rear admiral Eugenio Diaz del Rio is the flagship of the group.

As usual, official sources provide quite few information. Odessa portal od.vgorode.ua, with reference to the press service of the Regional State Administration, has informed only about the Spanish frigate, which will stay at the port berth from July 21 to 23. At that, it has been also announced that on July 22 the mariners will lay flowers on the monument to Jose de Ribas. The ceremony is scheduled for 11:40.

Nothing has been informed about the call of the Turkish vessel – only while reading websites of the Turkish Navy and NATO we have got a hint that after Varna these frigates will go to Odessa together. That is why we have been on the look-out :). We have to note that all these things bring a strange feeling - "secrecy"? – In the modern world this is not even funny anymore...

So if there are no new joint exercises – and the exercises are over, and mariners should get some rest – this visit may be considered as a response to the presence in Novorossiysk of the flagship of the Russian Navy Mediterranean Group destroyer “Admiral Panteleyev” with two Tank Landing Ships of the Baltic Fleet...

It seems quite logical to us.

Spanish frigate (F103) BLAS DE LEZO, Odessa, 2013-07-20 Photo: Vladimir TROFIMOV

Turkish frigate (F246) SALIHREIS, Odessa, 2013-07-20 Photo: Vladimir TROFIMOV

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A now here is the photo report on these vessels from Varna, received by BSNews from our Bulgarian colleague – famous marine photographer Nikolay Zlatev.

Spanish Navy frigate (F103) BLAS DE LEZO during the NATO and Bulgarian Navy exercises Breeze 2013, July 6-15, 2013:

Photo: Nikolay Zlatev, Varna

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Turkish frigate (F246) SALIHREIS during the NATO and Bulgarian Navy exercises Breeze 2013, July 6-15, 2013:

(F 246) SALIHREIS, (F 103) BLAS DE LEZO, Photo: Nikolay Zlatev, Varna

LTR: Greek artillery boat (Р 268) AITTITOS, Turkish frigate (F 246) SALIHREIS, Spanish frigate (F 103) BLAS DE LEZO (flagship SNMG-2), Turkish submarine (S 360) TCG BIRINCI İNÖNÜ. Photo: Nikolay Zlatev, Varna

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And finally the photo report on these same vessels on their way to the Black Sea from Istanbul on July 5, 2013, received by BSNews from our Turkish colleague Cem Devrim Yaylalı – editor of turkishnavy.net website.