ROSTOV-ON-DON, March 18. /TASS/. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet will get 13 new ships, some of them armed with cruise missiles Kalibr, the commander of the Southern Military District, Colonel-General Alexander Dvornikov told the media on Monday.

"The patrol ship The Dmitry Rogachyov, high speed amphibious boat of a new project and sea-going tug The Sergei Balk are in the government certification phase. Thirteen combat and supply ships are expected, including small missile carrying ships of different projects, some of them armed with Kalibr missiles," Dvornikov said without mentioning any dates.

The Black Sea Fleet’s upgrade began in 2014, the year of Crimea’s and Sevastopol’s reunification with Russia. Over the past five years the fleet has been considerably reinforced with new ships. The rearmament process is continuing and the fleet is being complemented by modern surface missile carrying ships and submarines.

Dvornikov said Crimea’s airspace is firmly protected. Four battalions of air defense systems S-400 Triumf are on duty. From threats from the sea the peninsula is protected by new missiles systems Bal and Bastion, which have replaced the previous generation ones Redut and Rubezh.

The authorities of Crimea and Sevastopol on March 16, 2014 held a referendum on reunification with Russia. The turnouts were above 80%. Reunification with Russia was supported by 96.7% and 95.6% respectively. On March 18, President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty on the accession of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia. The Federal Assembly ratified the treaty on March 21.