The Russian Ministry of Defence has finally agreed the purchase of the French Mistral helicopter carrier.

A Russian Navy representative of the headquarters said the tender would aim to lowering the cost of the transaction rather than to find an enterprise to fulfil the contract.

If completed, the potential deal would represent the navy’s largest foreign warship purchase, according to United Press International.

The Russian Navy has declined due to lack of funding since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.