A photo of Russian naval ships has recently spread on social media, with the claim that it is a Russian warship that has arrived in Iran, “Arrival of a large Russian warship to the coast of Iran.”
Kashif verified image via Google Images tool, and found that it is old. The image dates back to Russian Navy ships preparing for the military parade celebrating Navy Day in 2018.
Russian website РИА Новости published the photo on 22/7/2018 with the following caption: “The VMF RF troops held the first repetition parade in the Dunya Voynyu naval flotilla in Kronstadt.”
Russian RT website published the circulated photo on 24/7/2018 in a report titled “Growing the fleet’s capabilities: what new ships will be presented at the military parade in honor of Navy Day.” The photo’s description reads, “Russian Navy ships in Kronstadt at the first rehearsal for the parade.”
The website stated in the report that training is taking place in Russia in preparation for the celebration of Navy Day, which is traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of July 2018. The center of the celebrations in 2018 is the northern capital, one of the ports of the Baltic Fleet.
Two fleets from Russia and the Sultanate of Oman have joined the Iranian naval forces in preparation for naval exercises hosted by Iran in the Indian Ocean.