On Thursday, December 9, the Russian federal security service announced the Donbass command ship of the Ukrainian Naval Forces moving towards the Kerch Strait.

After a while, the department clarified that the ship lay on a return course.

According to the service, at 09:12 the ship left the roadstead of the port of Mariupol and set out in the direction of the Kerch Strait.

At the same time, the ship's crew did not submit applications required "in accordance with the Compulsory Regulations in the seaport of Kerch, approved by order of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation No. 313 dated October 21, 2015, for the passage of the Kerch-Yenikalsky Canal."

Later, the coast guard ship of the FSB of Russia, accompanying the Ukrainian ship, warned its crew about the need to comply with Russian legislation, to which the Donbass responded that they did not plan to pass through the Kerch Strait.

The FSB stressed that the vessel, being at a distance of 18 nautical miles to the Kerch Strait, did not comply with the requirements to change the course.

“These actions pose a threat to the safety of navigation,” the service emphasized.

Later, the FSB reported that the "Donbass" "lay on the opposite course from the Kerch Strait."

At the same time, the department noted that the ship still did not respond to requests from the Russian side.

The FSB reiterated that the actions of the ship's crew were regarded as provocative.

At the same time, the State Border Service of Ukraine reported that it does not have information about the Ukrainian Navy ship, which was moving towards the Kerch Strait.

Commenting on the situation, the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov said that the ship is in the Sea of ​​Azov legally. 

“The Sea of ​​Azov is a shared water area, we are there legally,” he said in a comment to the Ukrainian edition of Lb.ua.

The headquarters of the Ukrainian special operation in Donbass also said that the Donbass ship did not enter "sensitive zones" and that it was carrying out its mission in "its own territorial waters."

“Currently, Donbass is returning to the base,” they noted.

Member of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption Adalbi Shkhagoshev said that Ukraine should not arrange such provocations.

“They really do not pose a serious threat - they will always receive an adequate response.

Moreover, we remember 2018 when they tried to do it - very professional and timely measures were taken, ”he stressed.

Incident in the Sea of ​​Azov in 2018 

In November 2018, the Ukrainian ships Berdyansk, Nikopol and Yany Kapu were detained during an attempt to illegally cross the Russian border in the Kerch Strait region.

To stop them, officers of the FSB border service were involved.

The crews of these ships were arrested.

On board the tug "Yana Kapu" and small armored artillery boats "Nikopol" and "Berdyansk" were 22 sailors and two SBU officers, they were detained.

The detainees were charged under Part 3 of Art.

322 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (illegal crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation, committed by an organized group).

On September 7, 2019, the detainees were returned to Ukraine within the framework of the previously reached agreements on the exchange of detainees and convicts.

On November 18, Russia returned the ships to Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry then noted that the vessels were transferred "for safekeeping."

  • Tug "Yany Kapu" and armored boats "Berdyansk" and "Nikopol" before the transfer of vessels to the Ukrainian side

  • RIA News

  • © DSP FSB RF

Then the ships in the port of Ochakov were met by the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky.

At the same time, the commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Admiral Igor Voronchenko, accused Russia of missing property from ships, including toilets, sockets and plafonds, and Zelensky said that Kiev would seek their return.

The FSB of Russia, in response to the accusations, published footage of the state of the courts at the time of their transfer to representatives of Ukraine, as well as a video with the signing of the act of acceptance and transfer.

The footage shows that the ships were transferred in good condition.

The FSB stressed that if the representatives of Ukraine managed to damage these vessels, as well as bring the plumbing of the ships to an unsatisfactory state during the time of independent towing to the port of Ochakov, "then this is the problem of the Ukrainian side itself."

Let us remind you that recently in a number of Western countries and in Ukraine they have announced an allegedly impending "invasion" of Russia into Ukrainian territory.

The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov called the information of the Western media about the "invasion" as groundless escalation of tension and stressed that Russia does not threaten anyone.

During a video link on December 7, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden exchanged views on the internal Ukrainian crisis and NATO actions.

Vladimir Putin also stressed that Moscow is pursuing a peaceful foreign policy, but has the right to ensure its own security.

According to him, the prospect of Ukraine's joining NATO cannot but worry, since this step will be followed by the deployment of military contingents, bases and weapons threatening Russia on the territory of the country.