Ukraine's foreign ministry alarmed at Russia's plans to develop defense and industrial complex in Crimea
The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine is alarmed at the development of the defense and industrial complex by Russia in Crimea to expand its presence on the occupied territory.
"The fact that Russian authorities selected the development of the defense and industrial complex of the region as one of the ways of strengthening and expanding its presence on the occupied territory of Crimea causes alarm," Director of the Foreign Ministry's Information Policy Department Yevhen Perebyinis said at a briefing last week.
He said that Russia named several facilities for top-priority development: Sevastopol Marine Plant, which has one of the largest shipyards on the Black Sea, the Musson defense-oriented enterprise which designs and produces sea-based navigation systems and Sevastopol Helicopter and Helicopter Engine Repair Plant.
"The resumption of military production in Crimea by Russia first aims at strengthening and development of the Black Sea Navy as a dominating strategic object in the Black Sea," he said.
Perebyinis said that Russia is taking measures to further destabilize the situation in southeast regions of Ukraine. Russian Army has concentrated and is being regrouped on the borders with Ukraine.
He said that Russian enforcement agencies had increased intelligence-gathering activity on the territories of regions close to the Ukrainian border.
