Black Sea Fleet should expand presence in Crimea – politician

24.02.2011 Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) must expand its presence in Crimea; particularly, reinforcing naval base in Feodosiya and reconstructing base at Lake Donuzlav, said Andrei Kozenko, leader of Crimean organization "Russian Unity".

According to him, enlargement of Black Sea Fleet's presence in Crimea would contribute to security and state budget revenue.

"Opinion of inefficiency and weakness of Russia's Black Sea Fleet expressed by the leader of anticonstitutional grouping "Majlis" Mustafa Dzhemilev is just a subjective belief of some politicians trying to show their wishes as reality. It is impossible to find an example in history when Russian Black Sea Fleet failed to repress an enemy's aggression and maintain stability in the Black Sea. Black Sea Fleet's participation in the South Ossetian conflict in Aug 2008 proved its full combat worthiness", said Kozenko.

"Moreover, the Russian fleet is a guarantee of peace and stability in Crimea, and if it leaves our peninsula for some reason, we would feel the influence of southern neighbors at once. Thus, we must not only allow BSF to stay in Crimea for ever but widely greet its enlargement, for example in Feodosiya and at west coast near Lake Donuzlav. We should not forget about economic side of the issue either, since it is thousands of workplaces for Crimea residents and huge state budget revenue", said the Crimean politician.

"Today, in the holiday of millions of Crimean people – the Day of Soviet Army and Navy – one can state for sure that Black Sea Fleet has always been in Crimea and will stay here for ages regardless of conjunctural wishes of some execrators", concluded the representative of "Russian Unity".