Ukrainian anti-submarine corvette ‘Ternopil’, docked in Sevastopol, has sustained damages from combat grenades launched by the Russians troops sailing nearby in a boat, according to Leonid Polyakov, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
“Russian troops continue to make provocations against Ukrainian military units in Crimea. They threaten the Ukrainian military to storm their facilities and make psychological pressure on them”, Leonid Polyakov said yesterday (March 20) at a briefing in the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center.
The corvette has been taken over by Russian special forces in the meantime, according to a Navy source cited by Interfax-Ukraine, who added that the Ukrainian crew tried to avoid armed conflict so as to prevent fatalities.
“On March 19, there was a provocation at Sevastopol Brigade of Tactical Aviation; it was prevented by Ukrainian servicemen. Today, on March 20, Russian soldiers seized TV Company of the Ukrainian MoD ‘Bryz’,” the Ukrainian MoD said in a statement.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry denied media claims saying that the Detached Marine Battalion of the Ukrainian Navy (Feodosia) had requested approval from the State Government to retreat the battalion from Crimea.
During a telephone conversation yesterday Lt. Col. Dmytro Delyatytsky, Commander of Detached Marine Battalion, has reassured they did not make any claims of the sort.
Currently, the primary task of the personnel is to avoid any provocations, stay clam and be ready to accomplish tasks as prescribed by the State and MoD Leadership, the Ministry stressed.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, March 21, 2014; Image: Ukrainian MoD