A French navy ship of the type that Russia hopes to buy has arrived for a visit to St. Petersburg, AP reported. The Mistral amphibious assault ship docked Monday on the Neva River downtown, close to the Hermitage museum. Russian officials are considering buying a Mistral ship and a license to build several others. It would mark the first such purchase from a NATO country. The Mistral, which is capable of carrying more than a dozen helicopters along with dozens of tanks and other armored vehicles, is fit for missions intended to project Russian power.
