SIMFEROPOL, Feb 24 - RIA Novosti. Shipping in the Sea of Azov has been suspended since 4 a.m. on February 24 until further notice, the press service of Rosmorrechflot told RIA Novosti.
"In accordance with the warning received from the Russian Defense Ministry, from 4 a.m. on February 24, navigation in the Sea of Azov is suspended until further notice," the press service reported.
The decision was made in accordance with Federal Law 155 "On Internal Sea Waters and the Territorial Sea and the Adjacent zone of the Russian Federation" and in accordance with the coastal warning received from the Russian Ministry of Defense, a representative of Rosmorrechflot said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that he had decided on a special military operation because of Donbass. In a televised address to the Russians, he said that the circumstances "require decisive and immediate action from us, the People's Republics of Donbass have appealed to Russia for help." The Russian President said that all responsibility for the bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine, and called on the Ukrainian military not to carry out criminal orders of the Ukrainian authorities, lay down their arms and go home. Russia is taking actions not against the people of Ukraine, but against the junta that seized power in Kiev, Russia's permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzia said on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Russian Armed Forces do not launch any missile, aviation or artillery strikes on Ukrainian cities. According to the ministry, military infrastructure, air defense facilities, military airfields, aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are being disabled by high-precision means of destruction. The Ministry clarified that nothing threatens the civilian population.
