Ukrainian experts: Russia is a tough and undivided master in the Black Sea
The Russian Federation uses unconventional methods to protect its gas pipelines, closing up to 25% of the Black Sea and installing its military systems on drilling rigs.
This is stated in an article in the Ukrainian magazine “International Courier,” a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
The author notes the significant strengthening of the naval component of the Black Sea Fleet that has occurred in recent years, as well as the coastal defense of Crimea.
“In addition to strengthening its naval power, the Kremlin is testing various other methods of exerting pressure in the Black Sea. One of these methods was the periodic blockade of vast sea areas for allegedly conducting military exercises...
For example, on July 24, Russia blocked 120 thousand square meters. km - almost 25% of the entire Black Sea water area. Such blockades not only cause economic damage, but most likely pursue a political goal.
Most of Russia's maritime restrictions coincided with regional exercises conducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): for example, Sea Breeze 2019 (in Ukraine) and Agile Spirit 2019 (in Georgia),” the article says.
Security measures are also being strengthened in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov, where the average waiting time for one vessel in July of this year was 19 hours, in August it increased to 39, and in September to 48,5 hours.
“This leads to additional economic losses for the Ukrainian ports of the Azov Sea - Berdyansk and Mariupol, which as of February 1, 2019 have already reached $360 million,” the authors of the material note.
Non-standard, from the military point of view, is the deployment of Russian missile systems and surveillance equipment on gas production platforms: “Russia deployed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) stations on the Ukrainian floating drilling rigs “Peter Godovanets” and “Ukraine”, which were captured by Russia in 2014. This essentially turned the initially purely civilian platforms into an effective tool for monitoring the air, surface and underwater situation throughout the Black Sea.”
The author of the article notes that such measures are necessary for Russia to protect its offshore gas pipelines “Turkish Stream” and “Blue Stream”, which are currently being laid along the bottom of the Black Sea.
“The head of the Ukrainian analytical center “Strategy XXI” Mikhail Gonchar notes that the underwater routes of these pipelines largely intersect with areas blocked by Russia in the Black Sea. And these findings are consistent with certain actions observed during Russian military exercises last summer.
According to the Ukrainian Navy, from July 14 to 21, units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet tested a new type of Shelf minefield in the Anapa area in the Krasnodar Territory (which is noteworthy - right along the Blue Stream pipeline route).
According to Mikhail Gonchar, the Kremlin may soon use similar tactics in the Baltic Sea to block access to another Russian pipeline under construction, Nord Stream 2.
Considering the extremely high dynamics of maritime transport in the Baltic, the consequences of this could be devastating,” the author of the article, Yuri Lapaev, panics.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.