Russia Can Quickly Increase Number of Ships at Southern Border to Counter Any Threats, FSB Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The border service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has a sufficient number of ships and motorboats in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and their number will be rapidly increased in the event of new threats, Vladimir Kulishov, the head of the border service and the first deputy chief of the FSB, said.

"The forces and facilities of the coast guard units are currently sufficient for fulfilling the assigned tasks in the Azov-Black Sea region. If new threats emerge, the number of ships and motorboats will be increased quite rapidly", Kulishov said in an interview with Sputnik.

According to the official, Ukraine uses active anti-Russia activities and the escalating regional tensions as a pretext for receiving US and EU financial and military assistance for reforming the naval military and border infrastructure.

The Yamal large landing craft (File)

© Sputnik / Alexey Kudenko

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"We are aware that the United States delivered motorboats to Ukraine, which mostly have already served a long service life, we are also aware of contracts with France, the United Kingdom and other NATO member states for constructing new motorboats for the Ukrainian side," Kulishov added.

Ties between Moscow and Kiev remain tense. Last month, the Biden administration approved the delivery of another $125 million in military aid to Ukraine, bringing the total "anti-Russia" assistance delivered to the country in recent years close to $2 billion.