Ukraine and Russia in naval standoff near Crimea bridge as Russia seizes two Ukranian navy ships

[RangeMaster]

Tensions rise as Russia places cargo ship beneath the Crimea bridge, blocking all traffic into Kerch Strait.
AL JAZEERA
BBC News

Ukraine's navy says Russia has opened fire and seized three of its vessels off the coast of the annexed Crimea, in a major escalation of tensions.

It said two gunboats and a tug were captured by Russian special forces after a chase. Two Ukrainian crew members were injured.

The standoff is the latest in a series of incidents between Ukraine and Russia since 2014 [Pavlishak Alexey/Reuters]

Ukrainian and Russian naval vessels are involved in a standoff near the Kerch Strait, a narrow sea passage near the Crimean peninsula that separates the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Moscow on Sunday placed a large cargo ship beneath the 19km-long Crimean Bridge, which connects the Russian-annexed peninsula with its mainland, blocking all traffic into the strait, the only passage into the Sea of Azov.

Both Russia and Ukraine have the right to use the sea, but after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, Moscow controls both sides of the strait.


Liveuamap

✔@Liveuamap
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Replying to @Liveuamap
2 Russian RF Ka-52 helicopters "locked" Ukrainian armored boats, boats "locked" them also. Russia blocked Kerch strait with grounded tanker at bridge from Azov Sea side https://liveuamap.com/en/2018/25-november-2-russian-rf-ka52-helicopters-locked-ukrainian … pic.twitter.com/GFyAMiCPX0 via @GirkinGirkin #Ukraine



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22
6:02 PM - Nov 25, 2018
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The strait is an important trade route for Ukraine as it gives ships access to the city of Mariupol, a key port located in the Sea of Azov.

Several dozen ships were anchored near the strait as they waited for the standoff to be solved, marine traffic tracker website VesselFinder.com showed on Sunday.

Sea traffic was no longer allowed to pass through the Kerch Strait [VesselFinder.com screenshot]
Videos and photos posted on Twitter purportedly showed Russian fighter jets and helicopters flying near the Crimean Bridge.




Alex Kokcharov@AlexKokcharov

Video of #Russia|n fighter jets flying at low altitude over the #Kerch Strait, location of today’s Russian #military escalation against #Ukraine:


95
7:42 PM - Nov 25, 2018


Liveuamap

✔@Liveuamap

Russian KA-52 helicopters are flying over the Crimea Bridge right now. https://liveuamap.com/en/2018/25-november-russian-ka52-helicopters-are-flying-over-the … pic.twitter.com/7HsvHgLpki via @Jake_Hanrahan #Ukraine


33
6:12 PM - Nov 25, 2018
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The tensions began as Russian border guards tried but failed to stop Ukrainian ships - two small armoured artillery vessels and a tugboat - in the Black Sea, accusing them of illegally entering Russian territorial waters.

While trying to stop the ships, a Russian navy ship rammed the Ukrainian tugboat.

Following the incident, Russia accused Ukraine of "provocative actions" by not informing it in advance of the journey. Moscow alleged that Ukrainian ships had been manoeuvring dangerously and ignoring its instructions with the aim of stirring up tensions.

A statement released by Ukraine's foreign ministry denied the allegations.

"Russia's provocative actions in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov have crossed the line and become aggressive," the statement said.

"Russian ships have violated our freedom of maritime navigation and unlawfully used force against Ukrainian naval ships."


The rising tensions near the Kerch Strait are the latest in an ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine following the developments in Crimea four years ago.

This annexation followed the overthrow of pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich after weeks of protests that descended into a violent conflict.

Later, pro-Russian separatists took over parts of Donbass in southeastern Ukraine.

Since then, fighting in that region has killed more than 13,000 people, including about 3,000 civilians.

 

[RescueRanger]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1066782446744674304

 

[Falcon29]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1066813576105598978

 

[Type59]

Russian government messed up when they annexed crimea. Ukraine is never gonna forgive Russia. They lost a natural ally. Similar culture and history.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

Russian government messed up when they annexed crimea. Ukraine is never gonna forgive Russia. They lost a natural ally. Similar culture and history.

Not similar history. Current Ukraine is mostly ex Poland ex Hungry ex Romania land incorporated into Ukraine after WW2. Current Ukraine has nothing to do with Russia.

 

[HalfMoon]

Looks like Kherson and Zaporiza will come under Russian influence shortly.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Ukraine needs to cut their losses, they already lost Crimea, if they keep pushing they will lose the entire Eastern half of Ukraine as well.

And not one single country on Earth will dare to fight Russia in Eastern Europe, as we clearly saw during the annexation of Crimea.

 

[Nilgiri]

Ukraine needs to cut their losses, they already lost Crimea, if they keep pushing they will lose the entire Eastern half of Ukraine as well.

And not one single country on Earth will dare to fight Russia in Eastern Europe, as we clearly saw during the annexation of Crimea.

The vicinity is particularly highly militarized and integrated on Russian side.

The key here seems to be the port of Berdyan'sk... a major commercial port and railway junction 80 miles from the Russian border and about the same distance south of the area of Ukraine in which Russian separatists have been fighting.

The Ukrainian Navy has built a forward naval base there as well where the three ships in question are based. It is the major supply base for Ukrainian forces in the area. It appears that the original Russian step was to cut that supply line and thus enable an assault on that front. The fact that Spetsnaz are involved suggests that they have launched an attack on Berdyan'sk to take out that base and supply center. The Russians are adept at these Port operations.

It's been known for a long time that the Russians want to open a land corridor to the Crimea and an advance with the sea forming their left flank would be a logical way to do that. Thus, a secondary objective here (or perhaps a medium-term objective would be a better term) would be to secure control of the Sea of Azov.

The Russians have massive force in the area including multiple front-line fighter regiments, airborne command and control facilities and a strong force of strategic bombers including Tu-95s and Tu-160s.

@vostok what are your thoughts?

@hellfire @Signalian

 

[vostok]

@vostok what are your thoughts?

My thoughts Poroshenko need martial law or he will lose elections and (probably) will go to jale for the rest of his life.

 

[Tshering22]

Not similar history. Current Ukraine is mostly ex Poland ex Hungry ex Romania land incorporated into Ukraine after WW2. Current Ukraine has nothing to do with Russia.

So you mean to say that the real Ukraine is east of Dnipro river and is essentially the people who are good with Russians?

My thoughts Poroshenko need martial law or he will lose elections and (probably) will go to jale for the rest of his life.

It is very likely that the forthcoming elections will be rigged for him to win again this time by a 'popular mandate' sponsored by the State Department itself.

Unless of course, the common Ukrainian citizens get fed up of this politics and come out for another mass protest to restore the previous international apolitical attitude between East and West. Or, you guys work your Donald Trump election magic here as well.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

Looks like Kherson and Zaporiza will come under Russian influence shortly.

If Russia is seen to wage war on Ukraine, they lose their right to free passage for warships in the straits of Bosphorus. If they try to punish Turkey, they lose right of passage for merchant ships as well.
The only exception would be a mission agreed on by the ”League of Nations”.
That is going to be difficult, since the League of Nation was disbanded in 1946.

 

[vostok]

The funniest part is that one of the captured commanders of Ukrainan boats Roman Mokryak just a month ago boasted how Russia is scary about Ukrainian mosquito fleet.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

So you mean to say that the real Ukraine is east of Dnipro river and is essentially the people who are good with Russians?

yeah