Ukrainian officer: Ukraine should take decisive steps to regain the Sea of Azov
First Deputy Chairman of the Union of Officers of Ukraine, First Rank Captain Yevhen Lupakov called for more decisive actions to ensure navigation safety in the Sea amid the rising tensions with Russia.
The first step, in his opinion, should be the termination of the agreement on the joint use of the Azov Sea.
He also implied other measures, among which are the determination of the Ukrainian maritime border, and the conduct of the missile and artillery exercises with the participation of NATO in the Ukrainian part of the Sea of Azov.
“As soon as these legislative measures are taken, then the sea will no longer be for joint use, and each side will have their own part. Then, NATO ships should be invited to conduct joint exercises in the Sea of Azov. That's all. There will be no problems then,” assured Lupakov in an interview with the Observer news outlet.
Earlier, Ukrainian Border Services banned the three members of the Russian delegation of the Ukrainian-Russian Commission for Azov Sea Fisheries, including the head of the delegation Igor Rulev, "based on the new information about their illegal visit to the occupied Crimea" and banned entry to Ukraine for a period of three years.