Russian warship docks in African country for first time

In a statement on September 26, the Russian Embassy in the Central African country said on its Telegram channel that the visit of the Baltic Fleet training ship marked the first time a Russian military ship entered Cameroonian waters.

The embassy described the expedition as a historic event that opened a new chapter in defense relations between the two countries. The event coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Yaounde.

Sergey Ustinov, Russia’s Charge d’Affaires in Cameroon, welcomed the crew and cadets of the Smolny. Ustinov said the visit demonstrated “the common desire of Moscow and Yaounde to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the interests of strengthening international peace and security.”

The Baltic Fleet's press service said the goal of the long-distance voyage was to conduct maritime training for more than 300 cadets from naval educational institutions run by the Russian Defense Ministry.

Late last month, the Smolny made an unofficial detour to Cape Town, South Africa, after stopping in Cuba and the major Venezuelan port city of La Guaira.

Earlier this month, the Kruzenshtern, a training vessel operated by the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), also docked in the Moroccan port of Agadir as part of the Great African Expedition. Rosrybolovstvo launched the mission on August 21, with the goal of conducting marine biological research along the coasts of 18 African countries – including Cameroon – in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans by the end of the year.