MOSCOW, November 28 (RAPSI) – Russia has reserved the right to sue France if it fails to deliver the two contracted Mistral-class helicopter carriers, Interfax reports on Friday, citing Russia's ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov.

Chizhov clarified that should a contract breach be officially reconized, Russia will take up measures stipulated in the contract, including legal recourse within arbitration chambers.

Vladivostok, the first of the two Mistral-class warships built for Russia, is still docked at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard, which had to allocate additional funds to maintain it.

The second Mistral-class helicopter carrier, Sevastopol, was floated-out on November 21.

The French government has said the situation in Ukraine precludes the delivery of the Vladivostok helicopter carrier to Russia for the near term.

Refusal to honor the contract would cost France nearly 3 billion euros, according to Le Parisien magazine.

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

Helicopter carriers are used for embarking and landing troops and equipment, and as a command and control vessel.