Contents tagged with Black Sea

  • Putin calls the seizure of Ukrainian ships in Kerch Strait a 'small incident'

    Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of the armed clash near the Kerch Strait on November 25, 2018, Interfax reported.

    “As for the incident in the Black Sea, this was indeed a provocation organized by the current [Ukrainian] government, including the current president ahead of the presidential elections which will be held in Ukraine next March,” Putin said at the "Russia Calling!" investment forum.

     “A small incident in the Black Sea and martial law was introduced. It is obviously …

  • Erdogan speaks with Putin after the conversation with Ukrainian President Poroshenko

    President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which the parties discussed the situation in the Black Sea region, stated the Kremlin’s website. Turkey initiated the talks.

    The Kremlin stated that Erdogan and Putin exchanged their views regarding the incident in the Kerch Strait where Russia captured three Ukrainian ships and twenty-four sailors. "In the context of the dangerous incident in the region of the Kerch Strait …

  • Kyiv: Russia has blocked Ukraine’s ports in the Sea of Azov

    As of November 28, the Ukrainian ports at Mariupol and Berdyansk in the Sea of Azov have effectively been blocked by Russia, with ships unable to arrive or depart.

    This was reported by Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan on Facebook.

    “According to operational information, 18 ships are waiting to enter the Sea of Azov: four heading for the Berdyansk port and 14 for the Mariupol port. There is also a queue waiting to leave the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea: three ships are …

  • EU prepares new sanctions on Russia after Kerch Strait incident

    The EU is considering imposing additional sanctions on Russia due to a recent incident in the Black Sea in which Russian border guards fired on and seized three Ukrainian military boats, injuring three sailors, as announced on Tuesday by Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, following talks with her German colleague Heiko Maas.

    “We’ll see about the issue of further sanctions. Everything depends on this examination of the facts,” said Kneissl, as cited by Bloomberg.

    Kneissl noted that the …

  • Ukraine asks Budapest Memorandum signatories and EU for protection against Russia

    During an emergency session of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has asked the signatory countries of the Budapest Memorandum and the EU for assistance in repelling Russian aggression.

     “We turn to our partners according to the Budapest Memorandum, who have taken on themselves the obligation to protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of our state; we turn to the European Union, including the participants of the …

  • Ukrainian Navy Commander: conflict with Russia in Black Sea is highly probable

    During “Freedom of speech” program on ICTV, Ukrainian Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ihor Voronchenko said that Russia may resort to escalation in the Black Sea.

    Ukraine recently stated that it intends to establish a naval base in the Sea of Azov due to Russia's hostile activities in the region. Voronchenko believes that the situation in the Black Sea could become as tense as the situation in the Sea of Azov.

    “They [Russia] are already questioning the crews when ships flying our flag or other …

  • Ukraine to establish border with Russia in the Azov and Black Seas

    On October 12, President Petro Poroshenko put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) to protect Ukraine’s interests in the Azov and Black Seas, the Kerch Strait, as well as in the south and east of Ukraine, as stated in Decree No. 320/2018.

    A great number of articles of this decree are classified. The non-confidential part of the decree speaks about, for example, the need to form a working situational group to protect Ukraine’s national …

  • Romania concerned about Russia’s military activity in the Black Sea

    Romania is concerned about the increased Russian military activity in the Black Sea. Strengthening European security will be the main topic in January, when this country, in the order of rotation, will take over the European Union presidency, said Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor.

    “The Russian Federation is using the Black Sea to move forces into the eastern Mediterranean areas,” stated Mihai Fifor at the international conference hosted by the Aspen Institute.

    “The situation has changed …

  • Ukrainian Navy conducts exercises in the Black and Azov Seas

    The Ukrainian Naval Forces conducted the command-staff exercises Cossack Will-2018  in the Black and Azov Seas, reported the press service of the Ukrainian Navy.

    “The main goal of the exercises is to increase the military command and control bodies’ capability of conducting defensive stabilization actions by the troops, as well as planning and implementing counter-offensive operations,” the statement reads.

    According to reports, personnel of the six tactical groups of the Ukrainian Naval …

  • Britain scrambles two fighter jets to intercept Russian bombers

    British fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers probing UK airspace, according to a statement made by the British Ministry of Defense. “RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon fighter aircraft scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth to monitor two Russian planes approaching UK airspace. The Russian Blackjacks long-range bombers were not talking to air traffic control, making them a hazard to all other aviation.,” said the Ministry of Defense in a statement.

    British Typhoon fighter jets were sent …