Ukraine will not lose control over Sea of Azov - Navy commander

Ukrainian Navy Commander Ihor Voronchenko has said he is convinced that Ukraine will not lose control over the Sea of Azov.

He stated this in an interview with Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

"We will not lose control. I will not give a definite estimate now. Now the situation is very complicated, especially in the Sea of Azov and in the key points of the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are in a state in which they can accomplish tasks [on defense]. This is not the year 2014," Voronchenko said.

At the same time, answering the question about the balance of forces of Ukraine and Russia in the Sea of Azov, he said that, unfortunately, the advantage was currently not in favor of Ukraine.

"Most ships and boats of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the FSB are now located in the Sea of Azov. According to our estimates, their number has already exceeded one hundred. There are about 36-40 Russian ships and boats that can fully carry out their tasks. Ukraine, unfortunately, now has two boats and two ships there. So you can count the ratio,"