Mistral: Russian Sailors To Leave Permanently France Thursday 18th Of December

Ouest France posted pictures of the Russian sailors going back to the Smolnyi with all their belongings. The departure would be for tomorrow Thursday 18th of December around 2pm French time, during the high tide. The sailors are doing a last shopping spree before final departure. The Mistral "Vladivostok", parked for now at the exit of the Louis Joubert dock should move and be located where the Smolnyi is since its arrival on the 6th of June.

The information is classified and the French Defence Ministry turns down vehemently any requests to comment on it.

According to the French newspaper "Ouest France", the 400 russian sailors that have been training on the Mistral for the last six month in St Nazaire will leave France before the end of the year.

This is a definitive departure and the sailors should be able to spend Christmas with their family. Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January in Russia according to the Christian Orthodox tradition. They will depart on board of the Smolnyi in which they arrived a few months ago.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian declared one week ago that there is a possiblity that France will never go throught with the delivery of the Mistral-class ships and that the Russians have to realise this. It looks like they fully realised it...

"I can confirm that the Russian sailors will return (to Russia) before the end of year," a spokesman for shipbuilder DCNS told AFP news agency on Wednesday.

As we say in France: "Bon vent!"

Update: The Smolnyi just departed with the 400 Russian sailors on board.

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