Soviet Union founded naval base Mersa Matroe, Egypt according to the Dutch newspaper Amigoe di Curacao dated 16 November 1970

An item reported that the Soviet Union was busy with founding the large military harbour Mersa Matroe halfway along the Egyptian coast between Alexandria and the Libyan frontier. The Pentagon would not respond about this base of which the building a year earlier was started. When completed were Soviet guided missile cruisers able to anchor there. Although it was in theory an Egyptian controlled harbour, she was crewed by the Russians. This base had several benefits for the Soviet navy which could there be stored and/or repaired while underway to the or coming from the Indian ocean and made the arms transport towards Libya easier.