KIEV, July 5. /TASS/: The Ukrainian Navy will receive Neptune anti-ship missile systems next year and deploy them in the Black and Azov seas, Ukrainian Navy Commander Alexei Neizhpapa told the Ukrainian Radio Liberty on Saturday.
"As to the question of when - next year, I think. As to how many, I would say that there will be three divisions of coastal missile battalions: two in the Black Sea and one in the Sea of Azov," he said.
"The main task now is to get the Neptunes as soon as possible and to use them wisely," the official added.
In late July, Neizhpapa said that Ukraine successfully test-launched its R-360 Neptune missile at a proving ground in the southern Odessa region.
The R-360 missile, used by Neptune, is a slight modification of the Soviet Union’s Kh-35 missile, developed by designers of the Kiev-based Luch Design Bureau. Depending on the modification, the missile's operational range is up to 280 km, and its warhead weights up to 150 kg.
