Contents tagged with Kerch Strait
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Klimkin: Ukrainian ships are getting ready to pass through Kerch Strait
Ukraine is planning a new passage of ships through the Kerch Strait and it is taking certain measures and getting ready for the passage together with international partners. The Ukrainian Navy will likely be able to “surprise Russia”, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said in an interview with Censor.net.
According to the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, the presence of foreign observers onboard the ships is hardly possible but there will be international monitoring. In particular, the …
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Lithuanian Foreign Minister calls on Europeans to step up the fight against Russian propaganda
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius stated in an interview with the newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung that EU countries should make greater efforts to fight against “Russian propaganda” and prepare for an information war with Russia.
The Minister asserted that the West “still underestimates Russia’s informational influence” while Eastern European countries are not the only ones under “Moscow’s attack.” Linkevičius called for the continuation of a strict sanctions policy against …
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Kyiv: Ukraine insists on a permanent international mission in the Kerch Strait
Ukraine insists on a permanent observation mission in the Kerch Strait, and Russia does not agree with this, Interfax Ukraine quoted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin as saying.
“We are now talking about making this mission permanent and observing both from space and from water in order to know exactly what Russia is doing and not doing there... We need to get a permanent mission. Russia refuses it,” the minister told reporters in Munich.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister noted that he …
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US senators propose ‘Azov sanctions’ bill against Russia
On Wednesday, a group of US senators put forward a bill that envisages additional sanctions against Russia in response to “Russian interference in the operation of democratic institutes abroad” and for its aggression in Ukraine.
According to a statement published by the Senate’s foreign affairs committee, the document was authored by republicans Lindsey Graham and Cory Gardner and democrats Bob Menendez, Ben Cardin and Jeanne Shaheen.
The list of sanctions proposed by the senators has two …
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Ukraine conducts military exercises in the Sea of Azov
Ukrainian Coast Guards from the Joint Forces Operation and other Joint Forces units conducted military exercises in the Sea of Azov, reported Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine’s press center.
Using Ukrainian Navy vessels, the units pursued an “intruder” vessel that carried out dangerous maneuvers and tried to approach the coast to land “a subversive group”.
During the training maneuvers, Maritime Security and the Ukrainian Navy, supported by coastal and airborne artillery, blocked the …
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Volker: US and EU considering new sanctions on Russia for capturing Ukrainian sailors
US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker believes that Russia is holding the Ukrainian sailors in order to put political pressure on the Ukrainian government ahead of its presidential elections. Volker considers it possible that additional sanctions will be imposed on Russia for this.
“Russia continues illegally to hold these Ukrainian sailors and illegally is charging them with crimes under a civilian code, seeking to illegally enter Russian territory, which is not the case. So …
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German warship to enter Black Sea for NATO mission
The Werra, a replenishment ship belonging to the German Navy, will travel to the Black Sea in February as part of a permanent NATO anti-mine group. The naval vessel will visit two Bulgarian ports, Burgas and Varna, Deutsche Welle reports citing a spokesperson for Germany’s Defense Ministry.
According to the source, the transfer has been planned for a long time. “There is no plan to deploy other German naval vessels in the Black Sea,” the spokesperson noted.
After Russian special forces …
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US Intelligence dismisses possibility of large-scale Russian attack against Ukraine
American Intelligence believes that a large-scale attack by Russia against Ukraine in 2019 is "operationally possible but not likely,” stated Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats during a hearing at the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Voice of America reported.
"We assess that a major offensive by either Ukraine or Russian proxy forces is operationally feasible but unlikely in 2019,” Coats stated. US intelligence services foresee increased tensions in the Black Sea and …
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PACE calls on Russia to release Ukrainian sailors
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted the resolution "The escalation of tensions around the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait and threats to European security,” Ukrinform reports.
In this resolution, PACE officially demands that Russia treats the captured sailors in compliance with the Geneva Convention on to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. "The Assembly urges Russia to immediately release the Ukrainian servicemen and ensure they are granted the necessary medical, …
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Kyiv: Ships that caught fire in Kerch Strait were used for illegal gas shipments to Syria
The gas tankers Maestro and Venice, which caught fire near the Kerch Strait, have been involved in illegal gas shipments to Syria since 2016, Ukraine’s Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories reported, citing information from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
“According to the US Treasury Department’s OFAC, the ships Venice and Maestro have been involved in illegal gas shipments to Syria since 2016,” the statement reads.
According to international monitoring systems, the …