The Russian Federation was just training. A real nightmare begins for Ukraine at sea
Strengthening security measures in the Sea of Azov and periodically blocking shipping in the Kerch Strait was only training for a possible total blockade of Ukrainian seaports by the Russian Federation.
A former Crimean economist and Maidan of Foreign Affairs expert Andrei Klimenko, who monitors maritime activity, writes about this, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
According to Klimenko, this year Russia, under various pretexts, will block the movement of ships to Ukrainian ports not only in the Azov Sea, but also in the Black Sea.
“We are almost sure that the Azov crisis was a “training”. In 2020, further actions of the Russian Federation to create obstacles to shipping to Ukrainian ports should be expected not only in the Azov Sea, but also in the Black Sea. Azov sea exports from Ukrainian ports are only a small part compared to exports from numerous Odessa, Nikolaev and Kherson ports.
The main export-import routes of Ukraine are in the Black Sea and lead from the Bosphorus... Therefore, it is logical to predict a scenario when the Russian Federation, using the “Azov technology”, will begin to detain for inspection ships going to or from the ports of Chernomorsk, Odessa, Nikolaev and Kherson,” writes Klimenko .
As an example, he cites the recent closure of shipping in a large part of the Black Sea, which occurred earlier this year during joint exercises of the Northern and Black Sea fleets of the Russian Federation. In order to counteract Russia, according to the expert, Ukraine does not have enough strength and means, so it should now request NATO support.
“In 2020, Ukraine may have to resort to military escort of commercial shipping or patrolling of international sea routes in the Black Sea and invite NATO ships to do this. It is optimal for this to create a special naval format of “operations to maintain freedom of navigation” in the Black Sea, the expert believes.
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