The Globe and Mail December 07, 2004
Embedded in Crimea
In 1997, Russia signed an agreement with Ukraine to lease facilities for 20 years in the port of Sevastopol, where its Black Sea fleet is based.
The fleet's size was estimated in 1995 at 14 submarines, 31 surface ships, 43 patrol and coastal ships, 125 combat aircraft and 85 helicopters, with 48,000 naval and marine personnel. From 16,000 to 20,000 Russian servicemen are associated with the fleet.
The flagship is the missile cruiser Moscva, armed with Bazalt missiles with a range of 550 kilometres.
The fleet also includes the Slava cruiser and anti-submarine warships Kerch and Ochakov. Most of the ships are 20 to 30 years old.
The aviation component of the fleet includes 24 Su-24 attack aircraft, based at an airfield near Simferopol.
Sources: GlobalSecurity.org, WPS Russian Media Monitoring Agency
© Copyright 2004, Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc.
