Russia reopens Kerch Strait to shipping after standoff with Ukraine
November 26, 2018
Russia reopened the Kerch Strait near Crimea to shipping in the early hours of Monday morning after firing on and seizing three Ukrainian naval ships a day earlier, a move that triggered a dangerous new crisis between the two countries.
Russia’s FSB security service said early on Monday its border patrol boats had seized two small Ukrainian armored artillery vessels and a tug boat after opening fire on them and wounding several sailors. It is the most serious clash between Moscow and Kiev in years.
Read more at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-russia/russia-reopens-kerch-strait-to-shipping-after-standoff-with-ukraine-idUSKCN1NV0N1
Russia Blocks Ukrainian Navy From Militarizing The Sea of Azov – Updated
Nov. 26, 2018
The Ukrainian government under the oligarch Petro Poroshenko is in election campaign mode. That is one reason why it is launching new provocations against Russia. Yesterday Ukrainian forces reportedly occupied a town within the neutral zone between the government controlled part and the rebel held Donetsk area. Today the Ukrainian navy sent a tug and two small gun boats, Ukrainian build Gurza-M class types, to pass through the Kerch Strait into the Sea of Azov.
When the ships entered Russian waters without announcing their intent, a Russian coast guard ship rammed (vid) and damaged the tug. The two gun boats escaped but did not pass the strait. The pictures show the melee at sea.
Read more at https://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/11/russia-blocks-ukrainian-navy-from-militarizing-the-sea-of-azov.html
Ukraine Council Expects to Declare War Against Russia After Maritime Incident
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Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are once again soaring this weekend, with reports that Russia has seized three Ukrainian navy vessels off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula. Crimea is de facto under Russian control, but Ukraine considers it part of their territory.
Earlier in the day, Ukraine accused Russian ships of ramming their tugboat in the Sea of Azov and opened fire on the gunships, injuring two. Russia claims that the Ukrainian ships were illegally in Russian waters at the time, and that the Sea was closed for security reasons.
Read more at https://news.antiwar.com/2018/11/25/ukraine-council-expects-to-declare-war-against-russia-after-maritime-incident/
Passage through Kerch Strait open for civilian vessels after Ukraine standoff
November 26, 018
Kerch-Yenikale Canal in the Kerch Strait is open for the movement of civil ships: they already started passing through the strait, Director General of Crimean Maritime Ports Alexei Volkov told TASS on Monday.
“The permission for vessels to move through the channel was issued at about 4 am,” he noted.
The vessels already started moving through the strait, he said.
Read more at http://tass.com/world/1032467
Russia fires on and captures Ukrainian Navy ships
By Clara Weiss
26 November 2018
Early Sunday morning, Russian warships fired on and captured three Ukrainian Navy vessels in the Azov Sea off the coast of Crimea. The military clash represents a major escalation of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which was triggered by the US and EU-backed far-right coup in February 2014.
According to the official Russian version, three Ukrainian warships illegally entered Russian territory at 7 a.m. on Sunday. Moscow then shut down the strait.
Read more at https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/11/26/ukra-n26.html
Kommersant: Senior diplomat believes Azov Sea tensions being stoked for more sanctions
In recent weeks, Kiev, Brussels and Washington have been stepping up accusations against Russia of militarizing the Sea of Azov, obstructing free navigation, encroaching on Ukraine’s interests and violating international maritime law. Thus, once again Moscow is being threatened with more sanctions. Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told Kommersant that he believed the issue was created artificially as a pretext for more restrictions against Russia.
Read more at http://tass.com/pressreview/1032127
