MOSCOW, 20 Apr-RIA Novosti. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, commenting on the reaction of the US State Department to restrictions on ships entering a number of areas of the Black Sea, said that Russia is acting in accordance with international agreements.
Earlier, the State Department called it an "unprovoked escalation" by Russia. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a written statement that the U.S. is "deeply concerned" about the ban.
Ryabkov explained that we are talking about the passage of ships through the Kerch Strait.
According to the bulletin of the Department of Navigation and Oceanography of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, published on April 14, from 21.00 on April 24 to 21.00 on October 31, the exercise of the right of peaceful passage through the territorial sea of the Russian Federation for foreign warships and other state vessels in three areas of the Black Sea is suspended. At the same time, it was emphasized that the zones planned for closure will not interfere with navigation through the Kerch Strait, in addition, all of them are located inside the territorial waters of the Russian Federation.
