> MOSCOW, August 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Black Sea Fleet is capable
> of destroying NATO's naval strike group currently deployed in the sea
> within 20 minutes, a former fleet commander said on Friday.http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080829/116377956.html
>
> Russia's General Staff said on Tuesday there were 10 NATO ships in the
> Black Sea - three U.S. warships, the Polish frigate General Pulaski,
> the German frigate FGS Lubeck, and the Spanish guided missile frigate
> Admiral Juan de Borbon, as well as four Turkish vessels. Eight more
> warships are expected to join the group.
>
> "Despite the apparent strength, the NATO naval group in the Black Sea
> is not battle-worthy," Admiral Eduard Baltin said. "If necessary, a
> single missile salvo from the Moskva missile cruiser and two or three
> missile boats would be enough to annihilate the entire group."
> "Within 20 minutes the waters would be clear," he said, stressing that
> despite major reductions, the Black Sea Fleet still has a formidable
> missile arsenal.
>
> However, Baltin said the chances of a military confrontation between
> NATO and Russia in the Black Sea are negligible.
> "We will not strike first, and they do not look like people with
> suicidal tendencies," he said.
>
> In addition to its flagship, the Moskva guided missile cruiser,
> Russia's Black Sea Fleet includes at least three destroyers, two
> guided missile frigates, four guided missile corvettes and six missile
> boats.
>
> NATO announced its decision to deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia
> after the conclusion of hostilities between Tbilisi and Moscow over
> breakaway South Ossetia on August 12. Moscow recognized on Tuesday
> both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgia republic,
> despite being urged by Western leaders not to do so.
>
> Russia's General Staff later said the alliance's naval deployment in
> the Black Sea "cannot fail to provoke concern", with unidentified
> sources in the Russian military saying a surface strike group was
> being gathered there.
>
> According to Russian military intelligence sources, the NATO warships
> that have entered the Black Sea are between them carrying over 100
> Tomahawk cruise missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
>
> dkj