Russia could launch a new offensive in Ukraine by sea – a form of offensive that Russian forces are “constantly pursuing,” including Crimea, the deputy chief of the Ukrainian navy has said.
Rear Admiral Andriy Tarasov described the threat of an amphibious attack as “real”, but told Sky News that Ukraine’s armed forces would repel any such attempt, and that Ukraine had been investing in strengthening its navy since 2014.
He also accused the Russian navy and coast guard of increasingly hostile activity in the common sea connecting the two countries, “blocking” sea areas and consequently the Ukrainian naval traffic for non-existent military exercises.
Russia has occasionally used “interceptors” in the Sea of Azov to disrupt communications and navigation systems on Ukrainian ships, the senior official added. This means that the capacity of merchant ships to operate out of Ukrainian ports in the region has been limited, with the volume of goods that can enter and leave decreasing by up to 50% in the last eight years, he added.
A second Ukrainian naval officer describes the Russian actions as a form of “economic war”.
news.sky.com
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