The Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser will call on Thursday at the port of Brest in France for a four-day official visit, a Russian Navy spokesman said.

During the stay the commander of the French Navy and Russia's ambassador to France will visit the Russian warship, which will be also open to public on September 5.

After the visit on September 6 the Pyotr Veliky will take part in the PASSEX joint military exercises with the French Navy.

The Pyotr Veliky is on its way to the Northern Fleet's base in Severomorsk after the Vostok 2010 exercises in Russia's Far East.

Russia's largest and most powerful warship, the Pyotr Veliky, has a displacement of between 24,000 and 26,000 tons, and a speed of up to 31 knots (almost 57 km/h). The ship is 251 meters in length and has a crew of more than 700 sailors.

The ship's main weapons include 20 SS-N-19 Shipwreck missiles, designed to engage large surface targets, and air defense is provided by 12 SA-NX-20 Gargoyle launchers with 96 missiles and 2 SA-N-4 Gecko with 44 missiles.

MOSCOW, September 2 (RIA Novosti)