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| Russia 'fires on Ukrainian ships' as tensions rise in Black Sea | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The Ukrainian navy has accused Russia of opening fire on its ships in the Black Sea, injuring two crew members, and said Russian special forces have seized three of its vessels. | |
| The Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, has called an emergency meeting of his war cabinet in response to the incident, according to reports. | |
| Russia has so far not responded publicly over the incident, but Russian news agencies reported that Ukraine had orchestrated “a provocation” and the country would publicise its evidence soon, citing Russian FSB security sources. | |
| Sunday was a day of rising tensions between the two countries, with hostilities centring on the Kerch strait, which connects the Sea of Azov with the Black Sea. | |
| Earlier, Russia prevented three Ukrainian navy vessels from passing beneath a Russian-controlled bridge in the Kerch Strait by blocking their way with a cargo ship. | |
| In a statement on their Facebook page, the Ukrainian navy said Russia’s border guards rammed one of its tugboats in the Black Sea off Crimea in an “openly aggressive action”. | |
| Ukraine said the incident took place as three of its ships, including two small warships, were heading for the port of Mariupol in the Sea of Azov, an area of heightened tensions between the countries. | Ukraine said the incident took place as three of its ships, including two small warships, were heading for the port of Mariupol in the Sea of Azov, an area of heightened tensions between the countries. |
| Russia accused Kiev of illegally entering its waters and deliberately provoking a conflict. It has claimed the waters off Crimea after annexing the peninsula in 2014. | Russia accused Kiev of illegally entering its waters and deliberately provoking a conflict. It has claimed the waters off Crimea after annexing the peninsula in 2014. |
| Ukraine’s navy said a Russian border guard ship, the Don, damaged the engine, outer shell and guardrail of one of its tugboats. | |
| Russia’s FSB security service, which oversees the border guard service, said in a statement quoted by Russian news agencies that the Ukrainian ships “illegally entered a temporarily closed area of Russian territorial waters”. It said Ukraine’s ships were carrying out “provocative actions” and “their aim is clear – to create a conflict situation in this region”. | Russia’s FSB security service, which oversees the border guard service, said in a statement quoted by Russian news agencies that the Ukrainian ships “illegally entered a temporarily closed area of Russian territorial waters”. It said Ukraine’s ships were carrying out “provocative actions” and “their aim is clear – to create a conflict situation in this region”. |
| Ukraine said it gave Russia advance warning of its ships’ route, however. Its ships are obliged to take this route to reach the Sea of Azov. | Ukraine said it gave Russia advance warning of its ships’ route, however. Its ships are obliged to take this route to reach the Sea of Azov. |
| Russia stopped the three Ukrainian navy vessels from entering the Sea of Azov by placing a huge cargo ship beneath a Russian-controlled bridge, Russia’s state-controlled Rossiya-24 TV channel reported. | |
| Maja Kocijančič, the EU spokesperson for foreign affairs and security, said: “The tensions in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait have increased dangerously today, after an incident this morning between Russian and Ukrainian naval vessels as the latter were attempting to pass through the Kerch Strait as well as subsequent developments, including the closure of the strait for traffic by Russian authorities and reported seizures of Ukrainian vessels and shots being fired at them. | |
| “We expect Russia to restore freedom of passage at the Kerch Strait and urge all to act with utmost restraint to de-escalate the situation immediately. | |
| “The EU does not and will not recognise the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia.” | |
| A Rossiya-24 correspondent reporting from the area of the Kerch Strait bridge said that Russia’s tactic had completely blocked the bridge and that Russian military aircraft were circling overhead. | |
| The latest incidents come after the Ukrainian navy complained in September of “acts of provocation” by Russian border guards against its ships taking the same route. | |
| Ukraine has recently increased the number of its naval vessels and border guard patrols in the Sea of Azov, in response to an increase of checks on commercial shipping by Russia. | |
| Kiev and the west have accused Moscow of deliberately blocking ships from accessing Mariupol, which has vital access to heavy industry in the region. Mariupol is situated near to the area of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed separatists in a conflict that has caused at least 10,000 deaths since 2014. | |
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| Crimea | Crimea |
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