Reduced from 75 to 28 ships, Ukraine's navy is facing its worst crisis ever after Russia annexed the

Описание: (20 May 2014) VOICE-OVER SCRIPT:
IT MIGHT BE HARD TO SPOT - BUT TUCKED BEHIND STORAGE TANKS AND LARGE CARGO VESSELS IS UKRAINE'S NAVY FLEET
OR WHAT'S LEFT OF THEIR FLEET SINCE RUSSIA ANNEXED THE CRIMEAN PENINSULA TWO MONTHS AGO
WITH TWO THIRDS OF THEIR VESSELS LOST AND AN ARMY DESPERATE FOR EQUIPMENT - UKRAINE'S MILITARY IS FACING ITS WORST CRISIS EVER
SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Oleh Chubuk, Captain of the first rank, spokesman for the Navy command of Ukraine:
"Times are not the best for the fleet now, but it's also trying to spread its wings."
WESTERN ALLIES - INCLUDING THE UNITED SATES - HAVE SHOWN LITTLE WILLINGNESS TO HELP THEM RE-ARM FOR FEAR OF PROVOKING THE RUSSIAN MILITARY EVEN FURTHER
UKRAINE'S DEFENSE MINISTRY HAS TAKEN TO HUSTLING 50-CENT DONATIONS THAT PEOPLE MAKE WITH MOBILE PHONE TEXT MESSAGES.
SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Oleh Chubuk, Captain of the first rank, spokesman for the Navy command of Ukraine:
"Many families had to come here and we had support and help from the local authorities and many volunteers. And it gives us inspiration."
FORMED AFTER THE 1991 BREAKUP OF THE SOVIET UNION, UKRAINE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT IT DIDN'T NEED A LARGE NAVY AS RUSSIA WOULD REMAIN A FRIENDLY PRESENCE
RUSSIA'S ACTIONS LEFT UKRAINE'S FLEET REDUCED FROM 75 SHIPS TO 28 --BUT UKRAINIANS REMAIN HOPEFUL
SOUNDBITE (Russian) Evgenii Livshyts, Captain of the 1st rank, Chairman of the Association of Submariners:
"If you talk to the crew members they would tell you 'We'll reconstruct the ship, we'll do it, we're ready'. It proves that the spirit is invincible."
RUSSIA IS SLOWLY RETURNING SOME OF THE SHIPS IT SEIZED - APPARENTLY DISMAYED BY THEIR POOR CONDITION
SALIM ESSAID, ASSOCIATED PRESS

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