"The Ladny, a Krivak class guided missile frigate, will participate in the biennial IONIEX-2008 exercises with the Italian navy," the spokesman said.
Ladny participated in August in NATO's antiterrorist Operation Active Endeavour in the Mediterranean.
In 2007, Russian naval ships took part in nine joint exercises with foreign navies, including Blackseafor - with the participation of Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia - and Open Spirit 2007, involving Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belgium, France, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia.
However, NATO suspended or cancelled a number of joint exercises this year following a brief military conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia in August.
