Kiev/Moscow. April 15. INTERFAX-The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its strong protest in connection with the announcement of the Russian Federation on the closure of part of the Black Sea waters in the direction of the Kerch Strait from next week until October 2021 for warships and state vessels of other countries under the pretext of military exercises, and demands to immediately cancel the decision on the illegal closure of certain waters of the Black Sea.
"Such actions of the Russian Federation are another attempt in violation of the norms and principles of international law to usurp the sovereign rights of Ukraine as a coastal state, since it is Ukraine that has the rights to regulate navigation in these waters of the Black Sea," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Thursday.
The Ministry called on international partners to increase political and diplomatic pressure on the Russian Federation in order to cancel the decision to close the water area and stop the escalation in the Azov-Black Sea region.
"This step is also a gross violation of the right to freedom of navigation guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. According to the Convention, the Russian Federation should not hinder or hinder transit passage through the international Strait to ports in the Sea of Azov," the ministry explained.
The statement notes that against the background of the continued build-up of its military presence along the border with Ukraine on land, the Russian Federation has gone to increase the escalation in the maritime zone. It is transferring warships from the Caspian Sea and strengthening its military potential in the Azov-Black Sea region, and, despite the lack of legal grounds, has decided to close this water area to warships of other states, in particular, Ukraine.
Russia's behavior " indicates the absence of any intentions on its part to abandon the continuation of aggression against Ukraine using military and hybrid methods," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
On the eve of the Black Sea Fleet (Black Sea Fleet) reported that a detachment of Russian warships went to the Black Sea to conduct training exercises.
"The events will also involve aircraft and helicopters of the naval aviation and air defense of the Black Sea Fleet," the fleet said in a statement.
"A detachment of ships consisting of the frigate Admiral Makarov, the small missile ships Grayvoron and Vyshny Volochek, the Samum hovercraft, the minesweeper Ivan Golubets, as well as large landing ships left their bases and conducted training to overcome a conditional minefield in providing the fleet's minesweeping forces," the fleet said.
The exercises will take place as part of a control check of the Russian Armed Forces, the military said.
The United States and European countries have expressed concern about the strengthening of the military group in Crimea and the movement of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine.
Earlier, the Southern Military District reported that 15 ships of the Caspian Flotilla are making the transition to the Black Sea for exercises. Among them are three artillery and eight landing boats, as well as support vessels.
