Latest Report — Ukrainian Navy flagship takes Russia’s side(Leaves NATO, Then Hoists Russian Flag)

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Ukrainian Navy flagship takes Russia’s side – report

The Ukrainian Krivak class frigate Hetman Sahaydachny (Reuters / Gleb Garanich)

 Source: RT    

Ukraine’s Navy flagship, the Hetman Sahaidachny frigate, has reportedly refused to follow orders from Kiev, and come over to Russia’s side and is returning home after taking part in NATO operation in the Gulf of Aden flying the Russian naval flag. There has been conflicting information on where exactly the  vessel is, but a Russian senator has confirmed to Izvestia daily  that the frigate defected to the Russian side. “Ukraine’s Navy flagship the Hetman Sahaidachny has come over  to our side today. It has hung out the St Andrew’s flag,”   Senator Igor Morozov, a member of the committee on the  international affairs, told Izvestia daily. He said the flagship is on its way back to the Black Sea after  drills in the Mediterranean. “The crew has fulfilled the  order by the chief commander of Ukraine’s armed forces Viktor  Yanukovich,” he added. The move comes after the Navy command resigned Friday.  Self-appointed President Aleksandr Turchinov made Rear Admiral  Denis Berezovsky the new Navy Chief, a statement published on the  President’s website Saturday said. Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the Prime Minister of Ukraine had earlier  asked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to let the  frigate through the Bosporus strait, according to the Kiev Times.  The ship captain and the head of Ukraine’s contingent in the  operation, Rear Admiral Andrey Tarasov disobeyed orders from  Kiev. The Hetman Sahaidachny returns to Sevastopol, Crimea after taking  part in a joint counter-piracy operation with NATO and the EU off  the Horn of Africa, reported UNN on Friday, citing Ukraine’s  Defense Ministry. On February 26, after crossing the Suez Canal,  the ship entered the Mediterranean Sea and was expected to be in  Sevastopol in early March.