The Russians will gear up Sevastopol for power projection missions:
Now that Crimea is under Russian control, effectively nullifying the lease agreement with Ukraine, the base will see its troop contingent rise from 12,500 to up to 40,000 by 2019, the defense ministry said.
Russia says it will also station [in Sevastopol] one of the two Mistral-class warships it has purchased, but not yet received, from France for $1.7 billion. However, France has warned it may cancel delivery if further Russian action in Ukraine merits heavier European Union sanctions.
Three short years ago, the Russians said the ships wouldn't go to the Baltic or Black Sea fleets. The French pretended to believe the Russians. I was not fooled:
Russia pretends that it won't deploy them in the Black Sea! And France pretends to believe them! Now that's nuanced foreign policy!
Plans change, eh? Have no doubt, at least one of those Mistrals will be based in the Black Sea, and France won't say a word about it.
What a shock. The Mistrals aren't yet delivered (Russia is supposed to build two, according to the deal). Although one put to sea from France, it is still in French control.
The French foreign minister says they might not deliver the vessels:
Fabius said: "If Putin continues like this, we could envisage cancelling the [Mistral] sales. We will ask others - I'm thinking of the British in particular - to do something equivalent with the assets of the Russian oligarchs in London. The sanctions must affect everyone."
Any move to block the LHD contract "would be part of the third level of sanctions", Fabius said, "but for the moment we are at the second level".
The first ship, Vladivostok , was floated out from STX France's Saint-Nazaire shipyard in October 2013 and is scheduled for delivery to the Russian Ministry of Defence in late 2014. The second vessel, Sevastopol , is due for delivery in 2015.
Right. I'm guessing the French have an adequate out for not saying a word about deployment.
Have no doubt, both ships will be in Russian hands in time for Putin's next war.
