MOSCOW, July 31 (RIA Novosti) – Russia plans to hold the Arctic-2014 exercise, which involves Northern Fleet rescuers, emergency teams and border guards, in early August to test oil spill response in the Pechora Sea in the Arctic, Northern Fleet spokesman, Captain 1st Rank Vadim Serga, said Thursday.
“Northern Fleet rescuers will take part for the first time in the Arctic-2014 joint search and rescue exercises, which will take place in the waters of the Pechora Sea between Vaygach and Kolguev islands in early August,” Serga said.
During the exercises, various tasks are to be performed to save passengers from a sinking ship, assist a wrecked ship, liquidate an oil spill resulting from an oil tanker accident, and protect the seaside from oil pollution.
The effort is also to involve representatives of Russia’s Transportation Ministry, as well as the regional administration of the Federal Security Service (FSB) border guard service, the Emergencies Ministry, the Federal Air Transport Agency, and the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency.
The Northern Fleet is to use the “Altai” rescue towboat, as well as Antonov An-26 twin-engine turboprop and Tupolev Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft in the forthcoming exercises.
