Russia has completely blocked the entry of ships into the Ukrainian ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk after an incident near the Kerch Strait with Ukrainian Navy boats trying to break through the Russian border.
The Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Vladimir Omelyan reports this in his blog, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“As of the evening of November 28, 2018, the Ukrainian ports of the Azov Sea of Mariupol and Berdyansk are actually blocked by the Russian Federation for the entry and exit of ships.
According to operational information, 18 ships are awaiting entry into the Sea of Azov: 4 are heading to the port of Berdyansk, 14 to the port of Mariupol.
There is also a queue to exit from the Azov Sea to the Black Sea: 3 ships cannot leave the port of Berdyansk, 6 – from the port of Mariupol. Another 8 ships are at the berths in the ports. A total of 35 vessels are blocked.
Movement is carried out only in the direction of Russian ports in Azov. That is, Russia has blocked Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov,” Omelyan concludes.
“The actions of the Russian side indicate a deliberate escalation of the situation in the Sea of Azov and destabilization of the region. The goal is obvious - blocking the work of Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov and gradually ousting Ukraine from our legitimate territories, enshrined in international law,” the minister laments.
Let us recall that Russia has tightened the border regime in the Sea of Azov after Ukraine seized the Crimean seiner Nord with its crew, who were not able to return home for several months. The captain of the ship has still not been released by the Ukrainian authorities; the seiner has been confiscated and put up for sale.