OREANDA-NEWS The Ukrainian authorities intend to create a base of its Navy on the Sea of Azov by the end of the year. Earlier in Kiev said about the threat of "Russian occupation" of the coast.

By the end of the year, there is planned to create a naval base (Navy) of Ukraine on the Azov Sea. This is stated in the Facebook message to the Ukrainian government, timed to the launch in downtown two artillery armored.

The statement noted that the creation of a base is necessary to"repel Russia's aggressive actions in the region."

This week, the Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly commented on the situation around the Azov Sea. So, on September 15, President Petro Poroshenko said that " Russia intends to occupy the Sea of Azov as well as the Crimea."

In Kiev declared also that till the end of the year to the area of Mariupol and Berdyansk about 1000 sea members of spetsnaz and 270 paratroopers will be sent. The purpose of the operation is called the strengthening of the border in the area.

Currently, the military presence of Ukraine on the Sea of Azov provides Mariupol marine protection unit. The center of basing of its ships is the port of Mariupol. As part of the marine protection detachment, in particular, there are the patrol ship "Donbass", the boats of the marine protection of the project 1400M "Grif", patrol boats of the "Kalkan" type and several patrol high-speed boats of the projects UMS-600 and UMS-1000.

The situation in the sea of Azov escalated after Ukrainian border guards detained the Russian vessel Nord off the coast of Crimea in March of this year.  The crew was accused of violating the order of crossing the border of Ukraine, as Kiev considers the Peninsula to be its "temporarily occupied territory". Russia criticized the actions of Ukraine, called them "atrocities" and protested. Russian border guards, in turn, began an enhanced inspection of Ukrainian courts. According to the state border service of Ukraine, by August, Russian border guards detained at least 150 ships going to Ukrainian ports.

Most of the Northern coast of the Azov Sea is part of the Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions of Ukraine. A small part between Mariupol and the border with Russia is controlled by militias of the self-proclaimed Donetsk people's Republic.