Russia and Ukraine: the "serious" escalation of tension between the two countries of the Azov Sea – BBC News



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On Sunday, the tension between Russia and Ukraine has reached a "dangerous" level.

Russian authorities on Sunday seized three Ukrainian warships on the coast of the Crimean peninsula.

The Ukrainian Navy claims that Russian Coast Guard Vessels opened fire against their flotilla, which was traveling from the port of Odessa on the Black Sea to Mariupol on the sea of Azov, became a new point of conflict between the two countries.

Ukraine claims that six members of its crew were injured in the incident.

The crisis began when Russia accused the Ukrainian flotilla of violating its territorial waters.

Russian forces placed a large merchant ship under the Kerch Strait bridge, cutting the only access to the Azov Sea, surrounded by Russia to the west, Ukraine to the north and east , and disputed Crimea at its

With an area of ​​39,000 square kilometers (almost the size of Switzerland), the Sea of ​​Azov and its coasts experienced an increase in Russian and Ukrainian military presence in recent months, whose relations they are eroded since Moscow unilaterally joined the Crimean peninsula in 2014, then in the hands of Ukraine.

  Russian ships.
According to Ukraine, Russian forces seized his flotilla.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko convened the Army Staff and ordered his representative to the UN to denounce the Russian aggression to the Security Council .

In the morning, the Ukrainian gunboats Berdyansk and Nikopol and the tug Yana Kapa left the port of Odessa, on the Black Sea, to travel to Mariupol on the sea of ​​Azov.

Ukrainian authorities claim that Russian forces tried to intercept the ships, making a noise

The flotilla continued in the Kerch Strait, but was stopped by the large ship under the bridge.

Russia mobilized two fighters and two helicopters.

Moscow accused a flotilla of the Ukrainian navy illegally entering its waters and explaining that it had suspended maritime traffic for security reasons

The Ukrainian Navy, for its part, badured that its ships had been beaten and prevented pbadage when they tried to leave the area

The Federal Security Service (FSB, former KGB) subsequently confirmed that one of its Coast Guard ships resorted to force to stop the flotilla of Kiev.

Ukraine claimed that it had informed the Russian authorities of its plans in advance.


The game of reproaches

Analysis of Steven Rosenberg, BBC News Moscow [19659003] The tension between Rus In Ukraine and Ukraine, the period of against the Crimea is longer and longer . A 2003 treaty between Moscow and Kiev establishes that the Kerch Strait and the Azov Sea are the territorial waters of both countries.

But recently, Russia began to inspect ships coming and going from Ukrainian ports

The use of force by Russia to apprehend wounded Ukrainian ships constitutes a considerable escalation . But you will not hear Moscow confess his guilt.

Under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, when Russia has already used force, its defense has always been: "We have not started." It may be that it is already the Russo-Georgian war of 2008 or the appearance of the "little green men" (Russian special forces) in Crimea in 2014, which preceded the annexation of the peninsula by Moscow.

It is expected that Moscow will blame what happened on Sunday and what will happen next to the government of President Poroshenko.


New Tension Point

The Sea of ​​Azov is one of the new points where the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has shifted.

The tension in the region has increased since the inauguration in May of the 19 km bridge connecting the Crimea to Russia. [19659002] After that, Moscow began inspecting ships coming from or going to the Ukrainian ports of Berdyansk and Mariúpol, following complaints from Kiev.

  Map of the region

These two ports are essential. for the export and production of meta-products Luric such as iron and steel in Ukraine, which account for 25% of the country's export earnings.

According to the Stratfor specialist, ports like these are indispensable today more than ever to Ukrainians, since 80% of exports are made by sea since the country lost control of Crimea.

Moscow states that inspections are necessary for security reasons, thus referring to the possible . threat of Ukrainian radicals against his bridge


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