First Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Andriy Tarasov says the Ukrainian Navy can significantly beef up its combat potential if NATO member states hand over their Island-class patrol boats to the Ukrainian side, according to Odesa-based Channel 7.
Negotiations regarding the transfer of boats and ships of NATO member states are under way, he said on Odesa television.
The boats that can be handed over to Ukraine are either obsolescent or obsolete and will be replaced by new vessels with extended capabilities, but they still remain combat-capable, he assured.
”To make it clear – these are not second-hand [vessels]. A boat that is delivered by a NATO member country has been maintained in the way that its combat capacity remains almost unchanged. For example, 20 years are quite okay for a missile boat, it remains fully combat-capable, ”Tarasov said.
Earlier, the Ukrainian authorities hope that claims lodged with international courts will help the Ukrainian Navy either to receive financial compensation or return its ships seized when Russia annexed Crimea in spring 2014.
See also: Russian command actively prepares for invasion on the coast near Mariupol – Ukraine Intelligence
