The Kremlin called the words of the commander of the Ukrainian Navy about preparing for war with Russia stupidity and whipping up hysteria.
Earlier, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Navy Alexey Neizhpapa said that if Russia attacked the Kherson region, Ukraine would start full-scale hostilities. According to him, Russia needs access to the Kherson region to let water from the Dnieper river into the Crimea. The commander-in-chief threatened the Neptune missile system, which can reach Sevastopol. Neizhpapa also stated that Ukraine intends to "return" the Crimea.
"This is an artificial injection <... > in no way contributes to the settlement of the situation in the South-East, " the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said .
He stressed that Russia had no plans to invade Ukraine.
Peskov explained that the statements of the expert of the Center for political conjuncture Alexey Chesnakov in the discussion program on Russian-Ukrainian issues can not be perceived as an official position of Russia. At the same time, Chesnakov himself did not talk about a possible invasion on the Rossiya 1 TV channel, as sounded in the question of the Ukrainian journalist to Peskov, but talked about existing provisions of international law that allow the use of force, for example, in a humanitarian disaster. According to the presidential press Secretary, Chesnakov is no longer an employee of the presidential administration.
"Now he is not working here, he is rather a very talented and very knowledgeable Russian expert, but he cannot be called a Russian representative," Peskov added.
Experts commented on the words of the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Navy about preparing for war with Russia
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Education and Science, an expert in international politics Vyacheslav Nikonov condemned the statement of the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Navy about preparing for a full-scale military confrontation with Russia, noting that such words could be either a provocation or lack of common sense.
"Everyone laughed at the name. There's nothing funny about it. Or Ukraine is ready to risk the fleet (which in a full-scale confrontation can be sunk in minutes) to provoke a war. Or in the command of the Ukrainian armed forces, there are people who do not pass a medical examination. Both are dangerous, " Nikonov wrote on his Facebook page.
Statements by the commander of the Ukrainian Navy about Russia's upcoming military attacks are a provocation, Alexey Kondratev, a member of the International Committee of the Federation Council, told RIA Novosti.
"This statement itself is a provocation. Of course, there can be no question of any military actions with Russia," the politician said.
But keep in mind two aspects, he added "the repeated statements of the Ukrainian authorities about "Russian aggression" - in the framework of the General policy of NATO and the EU and opportunities for Ukraine's SBU point operations of sabotage and terrorist methods (against Russia)," said Kondratiev.
Military expert Igor Korotchenko told RIA Novosti that the naval forces of Ukraine today are extremely weak and disorganized to conduct any military operations, especially against Russia.
"The naval forces of Ukraine, as an organized force, do not exist de facto. The statement that was made is a bluff that looks so ridiculous that it is impossible to comment on it seriously, " Korotchenko said.
He stressed that "what is left of the Ukrainian Navy", in the event of an attempt to attack Russia and attack the Black sea fleet "will cease to exist", and for Ukraine, as a state, the most negative consequences may occur, Korotchenko added.
A member of the Federation Council from Sevastopol, Vice Admiral Valery Kulikov, noted that Ukrainian military leaders should cool their hot heads after statements about readiness to fight with Russia for Crimea.
"I want to note that for a long time they (the Ukrainian military - ed.) have been striking a virtual blow on the Crimean bridge, then on Novorossiysk, then on Siberia, now on Sevastopol. It is impossible to list everything. Of all types of combat support, in my opinion, the medical one suffers the most in the Ukrainian Navy, " Kulikov said.
The Senator recommended that Ukrainian generals and admirals do not try to check the reaction of the Russian Armed forces by encroaching on Crimea.
"They should cool their heads... The Borders of the country, its territory are inviolable. Don't even think to check it!" he said .
Senator from the Crimean region Olga Kovitidi, commenting on the words of the commander of the Ukrainian Navy about preparing for military action against Russia, stressed that the Ukrainian authorities should stop bellicose rhetoric against the fraternal state.
"As we can see, our international neighborhood is quite restless. Such statements could be considered the delirium of a mentally ill person, if they were not expressed by the commander of the fleet, the Ukrainian rear Admiral. We call on Ukraine to address the problems of its people and stop bellicose rhetoric against the fraternal state. We do not want to fight with anyone and will not give in to provocations, in Russia it is so usual that the strong do not offend the weak," Kovitidi said.
According to her, the people call the Ukrainian Navy mosquito, in its number and strike power, it does not pose any threat to Russia.
"It is unclear why the Ukrainian authorities, instead of restoring their economy and improving the living conditions of ordinary Ukrainians, focus on the obviously losing illusion of fighting with fraternal Russia," the Senator stressed.
State Duma Deputy from the Crimean region Mikhail Sheremet also reacted to the statement of the commander of the naval forces of Ukraine on preparing for full-scale military operations with Russia, RIA Novosti writes.
"It seems that the second wave of the madness pandemic has begun in Ukraine. It is very sad that such statements are made in a neighboring state. The international community must respond to this. Russia is not afraid of the Ukrainian mosquito fleet, we only worry that their ships, given their technical condition, may sink during the exit, and then they will say that Russia sank them. Russia is ready at any moment to give any aggressor a worthy rebuff and show it its place. In case of aggression, the enemy will be destroyed, " Sheremet said.
He also noted that such statements were a political slogan.
"I would like to see such characters themselves lead groups of young children, whom they set up for a fratricidal war, pushing Ukraine into a constant chaotic path that leads to nowhere," the MP added.
Crimea became a Russian region after a referendum held there in March 2014, in which 96.77% of the voters of the Republic of Crimea and 95.6% of the residents of Sevastopol supported joining Russia. Ukraine still considers Crimea its own, but temporarily occupied territory. The Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that the residents of Crimea have voted for reunification with Russia in a democratic way, in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter.
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Based on materials from RIA Novosti