Reuters: All-female crew embarks on Black Sea patrol in first for Russian Navy
SEVASTOPOL, Crimea (Reuters) - In a first for the Russian Navy, an all-female navy crew carried out patrols on the Black Sea on Friday in preparation for Russia’s Navy Day celebrations later this month.
The crew, on board a patrol boat, fulfilled a broad array of drills on their maiden voyage, simulating how they would react to an incursion by saboteurs including by tossing RGD-5 hand grenades into the sea.
“I decided to become a member of the crew because it’s very interesting,” said Olga Chelkova, a senior engine mechanic. “It’s promising and, most of all, it’s an experiment that women have never taken part in before.”
The voyage marks a symbolic step in Russian women’s quest to play a more active role in the armed forces, an institution dominated by men.
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WNU Editor: It is a small patrol boat. But the symbolism of change is all there.
