Washington Post – Critics say proposed sale of French Mistral ship to Russia will harm region

When the French navy’s 23,700-ton Mistral-class amphibious assault ship dropped anchor in St. Petersburg’s frigid harbor Nov. 23, it was doing more than paying a friendly visit to the Russians. The boxy 600-foot vessel — an advanced helicopter carrier, command center and hospital built for power projection and landing operations — was also advertising its many high-tech virtues with an eye on selling a copy to the Russian navy for about $750 million.