[ad_1]
One of the three men, Andriy Drach, has been described as an employee of the Ukrainian security services.
Statements by three captured Ukrainians were published by Russian security services after Russian ships opened fire and seized three Ukrainian ships off the coast of Crimea annexed by Russia.
One of the men, Volodymyr Lisovyi, said he was aware of the "provocative nature" of Ukrainian action.
The commander of the Ukrainian navy said that the men had been forced to lie under duress.
In addition, a Crimean court ordered that 12 of the 24 Ukrainians seized on Sunday be detained for 60 days.
The court is expected to make decisions for the remaining soldiers on Wednesday.
Western countries have condemned the use of force by Russia, four years after its capture of the southern Crimea peninsula by Ukraine.
Why this crisis is fraught with risks
The outbreak is the first clash between Ukraine and Russian forces for years, although pro-Russian separatists and Russian "volunteers" are fighting the Ukrainian army in two eastern regions. .
Tensions escalated when Russia opened a bridge this year between Russia and Crimea on the Kerch Strait, which leads to the Azov Sea. Ukraine has two major ports on the north coast of the Azov Sea and a 2003 treaty allows both countries to freely access its waters.
Russia accused both gunboats and the Ukrainian tug of violating Russian territorial waters while they were crossing the Kerch Strait. But Ukraine said the incidents occurred in areas where shipping is free.
Why Ukraine imposes martial law
On Monday evening, the Ukrainian parliament reacted by supporting the decision of President Petro Poroshenko to impose martial law for a period of 30 days from 26 November in 10 border regions.
On Tuesday, President Poroshenko said that there was a threat of "large-scale war" with Russia.
"Number of [Russian] base tanks along our border have been multiplied by three, "he said.
Five of the ten regions are adjacent to Russia and two are adjacent to Trans-Dniester, a separatist region of Moldova, where Russian troops are stationed. The other three regions border the Black Sea or the sea of Azov, near Crimea.
Photo: The Ukrainian Navy released photos of its ships damaged by Russian fire
Since April 2014, the Ukrainian army is fighting against pro-Russian separatists in two regions of eastern Ukraine, on the border with Russia, Luhansk and Donetsk.
The transition to martial law is unprecedented in Ukraine and gives the military authorities the right to ban demonstrations and strikes. The mobilization of civilians for military service is possible but not inevitable.
What the sailors said
Ukrainian sailors were captured by Russia on Sunday and at least three were wounded.
Late in the evening of Monday, the FSB security service released videos of three of the men:
- Andriy Drach stated that he was aboard the gunboat Nikopol with order to sail from Odessa to Mariupol. "The border services of the Russian Federation have warned us that we are violating Russian law and have repeatedly asked us to leave the territorial waters of the Russian Federation," he said.
- Serhiy Tsybizov said that he was also on the Nikopol
- Volodymyr Lisovyi said that he was commander of a military unit and that he was part of a naval task force. "I deliberately ignored requests via an ultra-short wave band," adding that there were small arms on board as well as submachine guns
The head of the Ukrainian Navy, Ihor Voronchenko, told Ukrainian television that the three men had made false statements under duress.
"I know these sailors from Nikopol, they have always been honest professionals in their work, and what they say now is not true," he said.
Vasyl Hrytsak, head of the security service of the SBU in Ukraine, confirmed Russian information that members of the service were on board the boats, but added that it was "an accident". routine counterintelligence mission "of the same type as the Russian navy.
How did the West react
Several countries condemned Russia's actions on Monday and the UN Security Council failed to agree on an agenda proposed by Russia. He instead discussed a Ukrainian proposal on the issue.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the seizure of Ukrainian ships was "a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law". President Donald Trump said: "We do not like what's going on, anyway, we do not like what's going on and hope they're clearing themselves."
The United Kingdom condemned the "destabilizing behavior of Russia in the region and its constant violation of the territorial sovereignty of Ukraine".
Responding to a call by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Ukrainians had "deliberately ignored the rules of peaceful pbadage in the territorial sea of the Russian Federation," the Kremlin said.
Ms Merkel "stressed the need for de-escalation and dialogue," said his spokesman.
[ad_2]
Source link
