MOSCOW, November 14 (RAPSI) - If the French side does not fulfill its obligations in the Mistral helicopter carrier contract by the end of November, Russia will file financial compensation claims the amount of which will be made public, a high-ranking source in Moscow told RIA Novosti on Friday.

The source said experts are evaluating the amount of damages if the contract is breached. “The figure will not be kept secret.”

Russia had been invited to France for the official handover ceremony of the first Mistral-class helicopter carrier, Vladivostok, on November 14. However, it is still not clear when the transfer will take place. The Russian delegation has not departed for France yet while the French side has neither withdrawn nor confirmed its invitation. The French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian announced on November 12 that Paris has not yet decided on the delivery dates for Mistral ships.

Mistral is a class of amphibious assault ships classified by the French as “projection and command ships” (bâtiment de projection et de commandement).

The helicopter carriers are used for grounding of landing troops and equipment, and managing a group, union or association of ships and forces.