Russia will add 80 new warships to Black Sea Fleet: fleet commander

[dipsydoodle]

Russia will increase its Black Sea fleet with more than 80 new warships by 2020 and will complete a second naval base for the fleet near the city of Novorossiysk by 2016, its commander said on Tuesday.

In comments made to President Vladimir Putin as he visited the port city, Vice Admiral Alexander Vitko said a second Black Sea base was needed in addition to the main base on the Crimea peninsula annexed from Ukraine because of NATO expansion.

"Eighty ships and other vessels are expected to arrive (in Novorossiysk) before 2020. The Black Sea Fleet will have 206 ships and vessels by 2020," Vitko told Putin.

"NATO ships are constantly present in the Black Sea and it plans to establish a naval base in the Black Sea," he added.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/reuters-russia-will-add-80-new-warships-to-black-sea-fleet-365637.html

[gordianot]

1. Sounds like a real traffic jam. Keep your small boat away it might get swamped.

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. I wonder how much he's increased his "Online Army"? And what possible impact are they having?

TYT/Buzzfeed: "Russia's Online Troll Army Is Huge, Hilarious & Already Everywhere "

"Moscow is financing legions of pro-Russia Internet commenters. But how much do they matter?"

"Russia's campaign to shape international opinion around its invasion of Ukraine has extended to recruiting and training a new cadre of online trolls that have been deployed to spread the Kremlin's message on the comments section of top American websites."