The Ukrainian Navy is preparing for full-scale combat operations with Russia, the commander of the battle fleet, Rear Admiral Alexey Neizhpapa told "Dumskaya".
According to him, the country intends to "return" Crimea and is preparing for war.
"There will be many losses - our soldiers and civilians," said Neizhpapa.
According to him, Kiev expects the Russian army to attack the Kherson region in order to let the Dnieper water into the Crimea.
"Our divisions are preparing for such actions. I can't reveal all the plans, but here's a small fact: the range of the Neptune missile system allows it to be used from the mainland of Ukraine on the approaches to Sevastopol. We will see," Neizhpapa said.
The signal for the beginning of a confrontation will be Russia's attempt to restore the North Crimean channel on the Peninsula, the Rear Admiral added.
Previously, Ukraine provided up to 85 percent of Crimea's freshwater needs through the North Crimean channel running from the Dnieper. However, after 2014, the water supply was completely stopped unilaterally. Ukrainian politicians have regularly made statements about "plans" of Russia to seize the channel, in fact, the country already has sources of freshwater.
In recent years, the Ukrainian Navy has been experiencing serious problems. The old ships are gradually failing, and there is not enough money for new ones. At the same time, Kiev actively buys foreign decommissioned ships. So, in September last year, the US Coast guard handed over to Kiev two decommissioned patrol boats Drummond (WPB-1323) and Cushing (WPB-1321), built in 1988. The US also reported on the decision to give the Ukrainian Navy two more decommissioned patrol boats of this type.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from RIA Novosti