By Moon Of Alabama
Originally posted Nov 25: 18:00 utc - Updated below on Nov. 26, 6:00 utc
November 26, 2018
"Information
Clearing House"
- The Ukrainian
government under the oligarch Petro
Poroshenko is in election campaign mode.
That is one reason why it is launching new
provocations against Russia. Yesterday
Ukrainian forces reportedly occupied a town
within the neutral zone between the
government controlled part and the rebel
held Donetsk area. Today the Ukrainian navy
sent a tug and two small gun boats,
recently acquired from the U.S. Coast Guard,
Ukrainian build
Gurza-M class types, to pass through the
Kerch Strait into the Sea of Azov.
When the ships entered Russian waters without announcing their intent, a Russian coast guard ship rammed (vid) and damaged the tug. The two gun boats escaped but did not pass the strait. The pictures show the melee at sea.
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With Crimea back in Russian hands, the Kerch Strait is solely Russian territorial water. The Treaty on the Legal Status of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, signed in 2003 by Russia and the Ukraine, provides that military ship entry into the sea is only allowed with mutual consent. Ukraine disputes the status of the sea in an arbitration court. (For a legal discussion of the case see 1, 2, 3.)
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Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? |
The Ukrainian government, urged on by the U.S., wants to establish a new military harbor in the Sea of Azov. Two of its navy ships, a rescue vessel and a tug, passed through the street on September 23. In October the Russian government warned that it will not allow any further militarization of the sea. Some U.S. hawks even want NATO ships to enter the Sea of Azov. The Sea of Azov has a maximum depth of 7 meters. Typical U.S. frigates have a draft of 10+ meters. What NATO or U.S. ship could even go there? As Russia firmly controls the sole entry point into the sea and can easily attack any ship in the Sea of Azov from within its borders the idea is incredibly stupid.
The Kerch Strait is now blocked by a large cargo ship the Russians anchored under the new Kerch bridge.
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Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? |
