Situation in Black, Azov Seas stable – Ukrainian Navy spox

Pletenchuk made this statement during a TV broadcast, as reported by Ukrinform.

"As for the Sea of Azov, we see that, in fact, they (the Russians – ed.) have not used it for a long time. We can date the start of this from the moment the Ukrainian Navy destroyed the railway ferry ‘Slavyanin’. After that, they clearly understood that staying in the Sea of Azov was extremely dangerous, even when hiding behind civilian vessels, as they had done before. There are, by the way, not many navigable channels in the Sea of Azov, and the recommended routes are limited due to the shallow nature of the sea," said Pletenchuk.

Read also: Ukrainian Navy showcases corvette ‘Ivan Mazepa’ undergoing trials

According to him, in the Black Sea, only submarines have been observed recently, acting as ships that provide security for the naval base – in other words, guarding it.

"Therefore, we can say that the situation is stable as of today; there are no ships in either of the two seas. But again, we always consider that danger could still be present. We must not forget that there are still eight cruise missile carriers in the Russian Black Sea Fleet, but they are at their base," emphasized the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy.

As reported earlier, the Ukrainian Navy showed how the corvette ‘Ivan Mazepa’ was undergoing trials.