Black Sea Fleet Does not Intend to Leave Ukraine

Interfax Ukraine reports that Admiral Komoyedov explains Russia's lasting military prospects in Ukraine rather simply: "Those that do not believe in Ukrainian-Russian friendship are our enemy." As for the development of BSF bases at Novorossiysk, Tuapse, and Temriuk, this should not be regarded as a possibility of the Russian contingent's transfer from Sevastopol. "The Navy must be deployed at various sites," says Admiral Komoyedov.

Russian admirals chose an opportune time to enhance the Crimean fleet's ideological foundation. On the one hand, NATO's use of force to bring Milosevic to heel caused a severe response from Ukraine's Left with their substantial number of seats in Verkhovna Rada. This response reduced the Ukrainian military's cooperation with the north Atlantic alliance somewhat. In fact, the Defense Ministry did not dispatch the agreed warships to participate in a joint naval exercise in the Black Sea and the traditional Sea Breeze, always a thorn in Moscow's side because of the inevitable appearance of several NATO ships near the Russian base in Sevastopol, will be different this year. It has been decided to reduce the maneuvers to a series of computerized war games.

Nor is the Ukrainian leadership in a position to demand explanations about why Russia is not planning to leave the Crimea 20 years from now. On the eve of the presidential elections the regime is trying to get as much support from the Russian-oriented electorate as possible, meaning also Moscow's support. In this sense, the Black Sea Fleet comes in quite handy. True, the Cabinet tried a resolution this May, determining BSF monitoring procedures, but Moscow reacted sharply, saying it was an attempt to block the Russian Navy's operations. Followed a hot-line exchange between President Kuchma and Premier Stepashin; the "control" resolution was suspended. "Getting back to it now is unrealistic, especially considering that strategic priorities are being sacrificed for the sake of current, short-lived political concerns," The Day was told by one of the resolution's authors. In addition, Russia was promised delivery of Ukraine's repaired battleship Moskva, despite Russia's liabilities toward the Mykolayiv shipyard. Of course, against the background of such magnanimous gestures the Russian admirals' declaration sound quite logical.