A few hours before the official events, the Navy Commander-in-Chief Voronchenko announced that the Russians had“killed” the Ukrainian ships,“having
removed the ceiling lights, sockets, and toilet bowls.”.
At the same time, Voronchenko drew attention to the creation of a deep echelon anti-ship
and anti-aircraft defense on the Crimean peninsula, as well as the strengthening of the air component by supplying the latest fighters and bombers.