Situation in Sea of Azov very tense — Navy commander

11:00, 30.10.2018 1 min read

Ihor Voronchenko, commander of the Ukrainian Navy, has announced that the situation in the Sea of Azov continues to be tense.

"From the military officials' point of view, the situation in the Sea of Azov, which is currently taking shape, is very tense. As the State Border Guards Service reported earlier, there are about 120 [Russian] ships and motor boats in that area that can either operate or serve ships; however, only 36 of them are equipped with arms, and only 24 of them have got enough guns. We have fortified our presence there by moving a motorboat group there that is already staying on station," he said during a talk show named "Freedom of Speech" that was broadcast live on October 29 night.

He said that this affects the security situation in the areas close to the Sea of Azov, as well as trade and navigation.

He added that no Ukrainian ships had been stopped there over the past seven days.

"I think we can expect a further escalation of the situation in the Black Sea," Voronchenko said.