On the invitation of the Bangladeshi side, members of the Soviet rescue minesweeping operation in Chittagong (Special Expedition-12)  Captain 2^nd rank (rtd.), Senior Engineer of the Engineer Service Viktor Kozhurin, Captain 2^nd rank (rtd.), Senior Assistant to the commander of the main minesweeper Vladimir Karamyshev, Captain 3d rank (rtd.), Commander of Electro Mechanic Combat Unit-5 Floating Crane “Chernomorets-13”  Alexander Chukanin, Captain 1^st rank (rtd.), Deputy Commander of the ship-raising party Nikolay Koloskov along with spouses and Anna Molchanova, spouse of late Vladimir Molchanov, who served as the Main Engineer of the Expedition, visited Dhaka and Chittagong on December 15-18.

The large-scale rescue operation by the USSR Navy was conducted from April 1972 until June 1974. The port of Chittagong was cleaned of mines and sank vessels in an extremely short period of time.

In Dhaka the Russian delegation took part in the official reception at Bangladesh Prime Minister's residence Ganabhaban to honour Russian and Indian military men who assisted Bangladesh during and after the 1971 Liberation War.

At the program, Prime Minister H.E. Sheikh Hasina thanked Russia for their contribution into Bangladesh's independence and noted the importance of the rescue operation conducted by the USSR Navy in the Bay of Bengal.  Viktor Kozhurin handed over to the Prime Minister his book The Fairway is Clean Again.

A reception was organized in honour of the Russian marine officers at the Bangladesh Navy Headquarters. In his speech, Chief of Naval Staff Nazimuddin Ahmed expressed gratitude for their selfless work.

The Russian Centre of Science and Culture organized a special program devoted to the 46th Anniversary of the Victory in the Bangladesh Liberation War with the participation of the Russian veterans.

On Victory Day, December 16, the members of Special Expedition-12 and their spouses attended the military grand parade in Dhaka, state reception at the President’s Palace, took part in an official dinner in honour of the veterans by Minister of Liberation War Affairs H.E. A.K.M. Mozammel Huq. 

On December 17, the Russian officers revisited the places where they had served in Chittagong and laid a floral wreath on the grave of Senior Sailor Yuri Redkin, who died performing his duty during the minesweeping operation.