Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu pointed out the attempts of the military-political leadership of Ukraine to destabilize the situation in Donbas, as well as the destructive behavior of the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance.

"The United States and NATO continue to conduct provocative activities in the airspace and waters of the Black Sea," Shoigu said, speaking at a meeting of the board of the Russian Defense Ministry.

He noted that "the military-political situation in the southwestern strategic direction remains difficult."

“This is largely due to the attempts of a number of foreign states to increase their military presence at the southern and western borders of Russia,” the minister said.

Earlier, the United States expressed "strong concern" in connection with Russia's plans to suspend the passage of foreign military and state ships in three areas of the Black Sea near the Crimea and the Kerch Strait.

This is stated in the statement of the spokesman for the US State Department Ned Price.

“Russia has previously taken aggressive measures against Ukrainian ships and blocked access to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of ​​Azov, which affected its activities in the field of international trade.

This is another manifestation of escalation in the framework of Moscow's campaign to undermine Ukraine's position and destabilize its position, ”Price said in a statement.

  • State Department Spokesman Ned Price

  • Reuters

According to Price, "what is happening is of particular concern in light of credible reports of a build-up of Russian troops in the occupied Crimea and near Ukraine's borders," as well as "other provocative actions by Russian-led forces at the contact line."

At the same time, the State Department "with satisfaction" noted Ukraine's "constant restraint" in responding to "provocations" by Russia and called on Moscow to "stop obstructing the movement of ships in the region and abandon the build-up of forces along the Ukrainian border and in the occupied Crimea."

Earlier, Moscow's decision to close part of the territorial waters in the Black Sea for foreign ships for six months was criticized at the Pentagon. 

“What is happening is just a fresh illustration of its campaign to undermine Ukraine's positions and destabilize its position.

We call on Russia to stop obstructing the movement of ships in the region and to abandon the build-up of forces along the border of Ukraine, "- said at a briefing US Defense spokesman John Kirby.

Russia's decision to temporarily close part of its territorial waters to foreign warships in the Crimea region has also caused discontent in Kiev.

As stated in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, such actions are "another attempt to violate the norms and principles of international law," and also violate the "sovereign rights of Ukraine", which allegedly can regulate shipping in these areas of the Black Sea.

In addition, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called Russia's decision "a gross violation of the right to navigation," guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"According to the Convention, Russia should not hinder or interfere with transit passage through the international strait to ports in the Sea of ​​Azov," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Ryabkov, commenting on the statement of the State Department, said that Russia is acting in accordance with international agreements.

The diplomat explained that we are not talking about any restrictions on merchant shipping and the use of Ukrainian ports on the Sea of ​​Azov.

“I draw your attention to the fact that no restrictions were introduced for merchant shipping, for the use of Ukrainian ports on the Sea of ​​Azov.

As for the limitations of certain zones where the exercises are held, this is a generally accepted international practice.

We are acting in the strictest manner following the relevant agreements of a multilateral nature and any other agreements in which Russia participates, "Ryabkov said.

  • Sergey Ryabkov

  • RIA News

According to experts, Kiev is deliberately distorting the real state of affairs in order to inflame tensions in the region.

"The Ukrainian authorities are trying to distort the truth in order to whip up hysteria both among their own citizens and in the West," retired Major General Pavel Zolotarev, a member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, said in an interview with RT.

"Preventive measure"

We will remind, earlier the Department of Navigation and Oceanography of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced the closure for six months of some areas of the Black Sea water area for foreign state ships.

The measures will be in effect from April 24 to October 31.

For this period, the exercise of the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea of ​​the Russian Federation for foreign warships and other state vessels is suspended.

The solution applies to three sections of the sea area - one stretches along the Crimean coast, from Sevastopol to Gurzuf, the second is located off the coast of the Kerch Peninsula, and the third is located on a small area of ​​the sea near the western tip of Crimea.

At the same time, the Kerch Strait and the approach to it do not fall into the indicated zones.

  • Departure of the Black Sea Fleet ships at sea

  • RIA News

  • © Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Russian Ministry of Defense

All areas planned for closure extend only to the outer border of the territorial sea of ​​the Russian Federation, the department specified.

Recall that according to the Russian federal law No. 155-FZ "On internal sea waters, the territorial sea and the contiguous zone of the Russian Federation", foreign ships, foreign warships and other state ships "enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea" in accordance with Russian legislation and norms of international law.

At the same time, "in the interests of ensuring the security of the Russian Federation, as well as for the purpose of conducting exercises with weapons of any kind," the country's authorities may temporarily suspend this right in certain areas of the territorial sea.

Earlier, on April 14, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that the ships of the Black Sea Fleet were leaving the sea to conduct artillery fire as part of a control check of the fleet forces during the winter training period.

More than 50 aircraft of the Southern Military District of Russia also took part in the maneuvers.

As Andrei Suzdaltsev, deputy dean of the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics at the Higher School of Economics, noted in a commentary to RT, the territorial waters of the state fall under its jurisdiction, so Russia does not violate international law by its actions.

“The decision to temporarily block the movement of the foreign fleet in these areas is a preventive measure.

Thus, Russia secured itself against possible incidents.

This is necessary in light of the unpredictable behavior of Kiev, ”the expert explained.

Pavel Zolotarev adheres to a similar point of view.

“Washington's indignation with this decision of Moscow is illogical.

Russia's actions are connected with the policy of Ukraine, which is trying to use the contradictions between Moscow and the West in order to satisfy its territorial claims by force, ”the expert noted.

According to the expert, by its decision, Russia demonstrates its determination to restrain any hostile intentions of other countries.

“This is not only about the growth of NATO activity, but also about the policy of Kiev.

In the current situation, the decision to close part of the territorial waters is deterrent, ”the expert added.

"The main threat"

Earlier, the head of the Crimean parliament's committee on people's diplomacy and interethnic relations, Yuri Gempel, opposed the politicization of the topic of closing a part of the Black Sea water area and speculation on it.

"Russia has the right to take any measures and actions in its territorial waters to protect state interests," RIA Novosti quoted Gempel as saying.

He also noted that the measures taken by Russia are justified in light of the constant escalation of the situation by Ukraine and NATO at the Russian borders.

  • US Navy missile destroyer Arleigh Burke USS Porter during the Sea Breeze 2020 multinational naval exercise in the Black Sea, jointly organized by Ukraine and the United States.

  • Reuters

  • © Ukrainian Defense Ministry

In turn, State Duma deputy from Crimea Mikhail Sheremet called on NATO and Kiev to "calm down" about the closure of a part of the Black Sea water area.

“Taking into account the situation that is developing at our borders, we are forced to strengthen and defend our border territories,” the deputy explained.

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the increased military activity of NATO near the Russian borders.

“There is a movement of troops in Europe to the Russian borders.

The main forces are concentrated in the Black Sea and the Baltic region, ”the head of the department said at a meeting in Severomorsk on April 13.

Shoigu also noted that compared with last year, the United States has doubled the intensity of aerial and one and a half times - naval reconnaissance.

With the growing activity of the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance near the Black Sea borders of Russia, Moscow is forced to take measures to ensure its own security.

This was stated by the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev, speaking on April 14 in Sevastopol at a meeting on ensuring national security in Crimea.

“The increased military activity of the NATO bloc, and especially the United States, is recorded in the immediate vicinity of the Russian borders in the Black Sea region,” he said. 

  • Nikolay Patrushev

  • RIA News

  • © Maxim Blinov

According to experts, an important role in the context of this activity is assigned to Ukraine.

"Kiev's behavior is now a destabilizing factor for the region," says Pavel Zolotarev.

According to Andrey Suzdaltsev, Washington is using Kiev's claims to Moscow as a lever of pressure on the Russian side.

“Ukraine acts as the initiator of sanctions and other anti-Russian activity, in return the United States promises to support it. The format of the Ukrainian-American relations is absolutely identical to the Georgian-American relations before 2008. At that time, the United States pushed Saakashvili into confrontation with Russia, the outbreak of hostilities, after which they left him to deal with the situation on his own. It is the policy of Ukraine that is today the main threat to the stability of the region, ”the expert summed up.