SEVASTOPOL/MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) – Technical inspections of Ukraine’s naval vessels entering Russia’s Black Sea Fleet could be complete by the end of 2014, a source in the Black Sea Fleet Headquarters said on Thursday.
“This process could take some time, but we hope that it will be completed by the end of the year,” the source said.
He said that right now the most combat-readied vessels from the technical point of view are the corvettes: The Ternopol, The Lutsk, and The Khmelnitsk. Other ships on the ready include an escort vessel (The Slavutich), as well as two landing ships: The Olshansky and The Kirovograd.
“In regard to the combat readiness of The Ternopol, she was planned to deploy to the Sea of Aden in April to patrol in the fight against piracy,” the source said.
The source said he had his doubts on the readiness of several vessels anchored in Sevastopol’s Streletskaya Bay, including several mine ships and cutters.
“These ships didn’t go to sea much so we have a few questions [on their readiness],” he said.
