The head of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, has said in an interview with Liga.net that only the name remained of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, it has long been transformed into a coastal defence fleet.
"What is left of the Black Sea Fleet? It has long become a statue. There is only one name left - the Black Sea Fleet. But in reality, it is already the Coastal Defence Fleet. And no more. It is a flotilla of ships that can solve limited tasks. No more," Budanov said.
Answering a clarifying question, he noted that this happened not even during a full-scale war with Ukraine, but even earlier.
"I personally think, I am sure that it happened many years ago. It's just that this myth was destroyed with the beginning of the active phase of hostilities on 24 February," he explained.
Earlier, Budanov said that the Crimean peninsula would be returned by both force and diplomacy.