“They did not respond to the demands to stop”: the FSB reported on the detention of Ukrainian courts that violated the border of the Russian Federation

The Federal Security Service of Russia announced the arrest of three ships of the Ukrainian Navy, which on Sunday, November 25, carried out a series of provocations in the waters of the Black Sea. This is reported in the common statement of the Center for Public Relations of the FSB of Russia.

“The vessels of the Ukrainian Navy Berdyansk, Nikopol and Yany Kapu that violated the state border of Russia this morning at 19: 00 on November 25 made another attempt of illegal actions within the territorial sea of ​​the Russian Federation,” the department said.

It is noted that three vessels of the Ukrainian Navy did not respond to the legal requirements of the ships and boats accompanying them from the border service of the FSB of Russia and the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation to immediately stop, and also dangerously maneuvered.

“For the purpose of forcibly stopping the Ukrainian warships, weapons were used. As a result, in the territorial waters of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea, all three vessels of the Ukrainian Navy were detained. Three wounded servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received medical assistance. There is no threat to their lives, ”the message says.

The FSB separately stressed that the Ukrainian side was aware of the procedure for the passage of warships through the territorial sea of ​​the Russian Federation and along the Kerch-Yenikalsky channel.

"This order has already been used by them for the implementation of a peaceful passage," - noted in the department.

Recall that in the early morning of November 25, in the border guards of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea, three ships of the Naval Forces of Ukraine violated Articles 19 and 21 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Two small armored artillery boats of the project “Gyurza” - “Berdyansk” (tail number U-175) and “Nikopol” (U-179) —and also the Yany Kapu road tug crossed the state border and “illegally entered the temporarily closed water area of ​​the territorial seas of the Russian Federation ".

The crews who made the transition from Odessa to Mariupol did not obey the legitimate demands of the Russian authorities and maneuvered dangerously, continuing to move in the direction of the Kerch Strait.

Later, an advance from the port of Berdyansk in the Sea of ​​Azov was recorded several more armored Gyurza boats. Later, however, the FSB DSP reported that three ships of the Ukrainian Navy "lay back and return to Berdyansk."

In connection with the provocative incident for security purposes, the Kerch Strait was closed to civilian vessels.

Maria Zakharova, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, strongly condemned the provocative actions of the Ukrainian authorities. According to her, Kiev resorts to "gangster methods."

“Having torn Ukraine apart, Poroshenko and the whole Maidan hopcompany, as Saakashvili does now, will then tour the world with lectures on the benefits of democracy. In the Donbass world have already established. Now for the Kerch Strait began. Bandits from the highway. And gangster methods: first provocation, then coercive pressure, and then accusation of aggression, ”Zakharova wrote on Facebook.

In turn, the head of the international committee of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev expressed confidence that the sole purpose of the actions of the Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea and Azov waters is the intention to force Russia to stop this provocation and then give the Russian reaction for aggression.

“From a military point, an absolutely pointless undertaking. From the political point, alas, it’s very promising, because you don’t go to NATO and the European Union, and again the European Union will become a wall behind Kiev provocateurs, whatever happens and what will happen, ”the senator noted.

At the same time, he noted that sooner or later "Kiev hysteria will come to naught, and provocateurs will be written off into an inglorious story."

According to the press secretary of the President of Ukraine Svyatoslav Tsegolko, the head of state convened a military office in connection with the current situation. At the same time, Petro Poroshenko instructed the Foreign Ministry to inform the G-7 countries and members of the UN Security Council about the situation in the region, as well as to initiate consideration of the incident in the UN and the OSCE.

“The President of Ukraine is in direct contact with the leadership of the EU and NATO,” the 112 Ukraine TV channel reports the press service of the Poroshenko administration.

To gallery page

In Europe, they have already responded to the provocation in the Kerch Strait area, calling on the parties to restrain and de-escalate the situation. According to the head of European diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, "tensions in the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait have risen dangerously."

"We expect that Russia will restore freedom of passage through the Kerch Strait, and we urge everyone to act with maximum restraint in order to immediately de-escalate the situation," the statement said.

A representative of NATO, Oana Luganescu, made a similar appeal, saying that the North Atlantic Alliance is “closely watching” the situation in the region and is in contact with the Ukrainian authorities.

“We call for restraint and de-escalation,” Tass quotes Luganescu.

At the same time, the NATO representative added that the alliance supports the sovereignty of Ukraine and its territorial integrity, including navigational rights in its territorial waters.

“We urge Russia to ensure unhindered access to the Ukrainian ports in the Sea of ​​Azov in accordance with international law,” Luganescu said.