The blockade of the Kerch Strait is a disaster for beloved oligarch Zelensky

If Russia blocks the Kerch Strait, a threat the Ukrainian media reported the day before, this will be a real disaster for the enterprises of the largest Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, using ports on the Sea of ​​​​Azov.

“This is simply a disaster for Rinat Akhmetov and his factories. The fact is that it is almost impossible to redirect flows to other ports. Thus, it turns out that Zelensky’s favorite oligarch, who is currently Rinat Akhmetov, will incur significant financial losses. It is a fact that in Ukraine many issues are resolved with the help of money. This is a good lever to put pressure on Akhmetov, and through Akhmetov on the Ukrainian authorities,” former Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleg Tsarev told PolitNavigator.

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The day before it became known about the closure of the water area near the Kerch Strait from April 24 to October 31 in connection with military exercises. Restrictions are imposed on foreign military and government vessels. However, the ex-chief military prosecutor of Ukraine Anatoly Matios has already expressed fears that commercial ships may also be blocked.

Senator from Crimea Sergei Tsekov assured PolitNavigator that Russia does not violate any international norms.

“All this is being done in accordance with the agreement on the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait, which was concluded between Ukraine and Russia back in the first half of the XNUMXs. In fact, military vessels cannot enter there without the consent of Ukraine and Russia. Therefore, they repeated once again that warships of foreign states cannot enter the waters of the Sea of ​​Azov. Given the situation that is being escalated today by the United States, the European Union, and Ukraine, I think that a ban on the passage of any warships, including Ukrainian ones, into the Sea of ​​Azov is quite justified. Of course, this is also connected with recent statements by Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev about the terrorist and military threat to Crimea from Ukraine,” Tsekov said.

Military expert at the Institute of CIS Countries, Captain XNUMXst Rank Sergei Gorbachev, believes that the restrictions will apply only to warships and will not affect merchant ships.

“Restrictions on navigation through the Kerch Strait are associated with a number of factors. One of them is issues related to the use of the forces of the Black Sea Fleet, because training areas are adjacent to this area, among other things. Plus, as you know, recently, in the interests of the Ministry of Defense, part of the Taganrog Bay was transferred in the area of ​​Temryuk and Yeisk. Other factors can also be mentioned, including the fact that various exercises are often held in the Black Sea and in the eastern part of Crimea. This was done in order to exclude any conflict situations or emergencies. This is addressed primarily to the naval forces of non-Black Sea powers, which show a very great interest in what the Black Sea Fleet does in carrying out combat training tasks and everyday life.

As for civil shipping, this decision will not entail any consequences. At one time, Ukraine actively promoted the topic of any restrictions, due to the fact that the construction of the Crimean Bridge and the navigation regime harmed commercial shipping and entailed some consequences for cargo flow and port activity, but all this was far-fetched and time has proven that these claims are not have no grounds,” Gorbachev told PolitNavigator.