Odesa to become main Ukrainian naval base - source
KYIV. March 12 (Interfax-AVN) - The western base of the Ukrainian Navy in Odesa will acquire the status of the main naval base of the country in April, a source from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry told Interfax on Wednesday.
"The decision has already been made. The Navy servicemen who remain loyal to their oath of allegiance will continue their service in Odesa after they leave the peninsula. Probably, this is the best scenario for our fleet," the source noted.
In his words, the Odesa seaport has sufficient infrastructure for accommodating the Navy. A Navy faculty will open at the Odesa National Maritime Academy this fall to train Ukrainian Navy personnel.
"The Ukrainian fleet will rejuvenate and develop. As time passes, our Navy will be supplied with modern ships and professional crews loyal to the people of Ukraine will be trained," he said.
Meanwhile, Interfax has learned that the Odesa commercial seaport administration insists the Navy find a different location for the sake of the port's development.
The Hetman Sahaydachniy flagship of the Ukrainian Navy is staying at the Odesa seaport. Dozens of ships of the Sevastopol and Yalta Coast Guard units have been moved there, as well.
The Kerch unit was relocated to Berdyansk. The Slavutych command ship and the Ternopil corvette are staying in the Bay of Sevastopol under the Ukrainian flag. Sevastopol self-defense forces blocked the Ukrainian Navy staff.
The Crimean authorities said they planned to nationalize the Ukrainian Navy. "The Ukrainian fleet in Sevastopol will be nationalized in full," Crimean Prime Minister Serhiy Aksionov said. "We are not going to let their ships go."
The Ukrainian Navy was established in 1992 on the basis of Black Sea Fleet forces stationed in Ukraine. The Ukrainian fleet had about 15 warships and 20 vessels. Rear Admiral Serhiy Haiduk is the acting Ukrainian Navy Commander.