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Russian Black Sea Fleet poses no threat to Ukraine

Russian Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov said the Black Sea Fleet was operating as usual and its personnel were engaged in combat training

© ITAR-TASS/Alexei Pavlishak

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Russian Black Sea Fleet complies with international agreements — Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW, February 27. /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian Black Sea Fleet poses no threat to the situation in Ukraine and is busy carrying out a combat training program under Russian-Ukrainian agreements, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov said on Thursday, February 27.

“All units and formations are engaged in everyday routine activities, including combat training. Such actions pose no threat, and there are no legal restrictions for that,” he said.

Antonov noted Kiev’s statement that all military should stay within the boundaries determined by current legislation and that any movement would be regarded as Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

“The Russian Black Sea Fleet is based in Ukraine in strict compliance with the existing Russian-Ukrainian agreements. Places of deployment, numerical strength and the amount of weapons in Russian military units strictly comply with the terms of the agreement between Russia and Ukraine of May 28, 1997, which determined the parameters of the division of the Black Sea Fleet, and are way below the permitted levels,” Antonov said.

He said the Black Sea Fleet was operating as usual and its personnel were engaged in combat training.

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