Russian Black Sea Submarine Presence Revived As It Looks To Strengthen Military Position Near Crimea

Russian will send new diesel-electric submarines to its Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in 2016 as it looks to reinforce its naval presence in the region, reported the Russian news agency Tass.

The naval base, which lies about 60 miles from the annexed Crimean peninsula, will alarm NATO and European Union (EU) leaders, who will see the move as an attempt to further legitimize Russia’s claimed ownership of the former Ukrainian territory and further evidence of the Kremlin reverting to a military stance reminiscent of the Cold-War.

"The construction of a series of six Project 636 diesel-electric submarines for the Black Sea Fleet is under constant control of the Navy’s Main Command,” Russia’s Navy Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Viktor Chirkov, said Monday.

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