Russia Deploys 60 Ships near Ukraine

Russia has deployed 60 ships on the East border of Ukraine and in Crimea, Acting Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Ihor Tenykh said on Tuesday, March 11.

The Minister also stressed that there is no open aggression, since Russia does not officially recognize the troops in Crimea as its own. Any active efforts of the troops of Ukraine concerning situation stabilization in the region could be represented as force application against their own population.

“We’ve put our Armed forces on full combat alert. Our servicemen control North-Crimean Channel, put block posts at Perekopsk Strait,” stressed Tenykh.

In addition to 60 ships, Russia has sent about 220,000 servicemen, 1800 tanks, 400 helicopters and 150 aircrafts in Crimea and on the Ukrainian East border, according to the Defence Minister’s statement.

Ukrainian Armed Forces need resources and financial support, according to Tenyukh. For this reason the Ukrainian government has addressed the European partners with a request to stir up taking a decision on giving Eur 2 billion from the general assistance package to Ukraine.

The suggested assistance package to Ukraine amounts to Eur 15 billion, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk said. In particular, “concrete sum amounting Eur 610 million is envisaged as macro-financial assistance, ratified by the Parliament, and additional Eur 1.4 billion as non-repayable financial assistance, grants”.

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Naval Today Staff, March 12, 2014; Image: Wikimedia