Ukraine celebrates victory and prepares to contain Russia in Azov
Petro Poroshenko expressed gratitude to the crews of the combat units of the Ukrainian Navy, who today passed, in agreement with Russia, through the Kerch Strait into the Sea of Azov, taking advantage of the agreement between Kiev and Moscow on a common water area.
Russian border guards accompany Ukrainians as they cross the Kerch Bridge
“I congratulate our warships - the search and rescue vessel A500 Donbass and the sea tug A830 Korets - on entering the Sea of Azov. These ships will become part of the newly created naval base of the Ukrainian fleet in Azov. Thanks to the crews of the ships for the flawlessly executed order!” – says Poroshenko’s address.
“The Naval Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not ask for permission from the aggressor country, but exercised their right to free navigation in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov in accordance with the UN Convention and international agreements,” emphasizes the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
Ukrainian military expert Taras Chmut assures that today's events are a real victory for Ukraine.
“The Russians are now working out the justification “methodology” - “yes, these are old troughs that are not capable of anything.” Yes, old ones. So, they don’t look very “fresh”, But: “Donbass” is going to the Sea of Azov in order to become the center around which a naval base will be built. The headquarters, living quarters, galley, operations department and similar structures will be located there. It will not go to sea, it will simply cover the need for a couple of years for what we will eventually build on land. The tugboat “Korets” simply accompanies him and protects him from abnormal or emergency situations,” writes Chmut.
According to him, on the Russian side, when passing through the Kerch Strait, the Navy units were accompanied by: tugboat SB-739 KChF, 2 patrol boats of project 03160 “Raptor” with special forces, ship of project 10410 “Firefly” of the Coast Guard PS FSB, 2 boats “Mangust” of project 12150 , boat of project 21850 "Chibis" of the coast guard PS FSB.
“Everyone in Kerch is so tense,” Chmut rejoices.
Former Black Sea Fleet serviceman and Crimean blogger Alexander Kiryakov, on the contrary, believes that the sailors of the Ukrainian Navy who participated in the campaign from Odessa to the Sea of Azov feel ashamed because they were able to personally compare the condition of their combat units with the Russian ones that accompanied the Ukrainian detachment.
“I can imagine the shame the old sailors felt on these half-dead ships, who remember the best times of their naval youth. Without knowing it, the initiators of this transition staged the best advertising stunt for modern Crimea, our country as a whole... and a visual excursion tour for sailors. Official reports from neighboring countries are one thing, but what the seamen are now talking about among themselves in the control rooms and cockpits is completely different,” says Kiryakov.
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