Russia’s Black Sea Fleet naval base in the Ukraine port of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula will remain permanently, Russian Black Sea Fleet Admiral Igor Kasatonov said.

“2042 is not the final date of the Black Sea Fleet’s presence in Crimea. The Russian Navy will stay in Sevastopol forever. Russia will never give up either Sevastopol or the Kuril Islands,” he added.

The lease on the fleet’s naval base in Sevastopol was extended for 25 years in a deal signed by the two countries in 2010, according to RIA Novosti.

The Black Sea Fleet will be equipped with advanced weaponry and new combat ships as well as diesel-electric submarines by 2020 to effectively counter existing and emerging global threats.

Currently, the fleet operates about 40 vessels, including a single diesel-electric submarine.