Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the deputy head of the Russian General Staff, told a news conference in Moscow that the instructions of the Ukrainian authorities, which commissioned the Russian Black Sea Fleet to submit a request to return to its base in the Crimea, are not legitimate for the Russian Naval Forces. The news conference was broadcast live by Vesti24 television.

“We have only one Commander-in-Chief, the Russian Federation President, and all statements from abroad are not legitimate for us”, Nogovitsyn claimed.

As UNIAN reported earlier, on August 13, Ukraine`s president claimed Russian navy ships that were deployed to the Georgian coast will need authorization to return to the base Russia leases from Ukraine.

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Viktor Yushchenko`s decree Wednesday requires Russia`s Black Sea Fleet to submit a request to return to its base in the Crimea 10 working days before its planned return.

The Russian navy squadron was deployed to Georgia`s coast as part of Russia`s onslaught on Georgia beginning last week.

Under a 1997 lease agreement, Russia`s Black Sea Fleet is permitted remain in the port of Sevastopol through 2017, but Ukrainian officials have said they want it out after that.