Reznikov calls on the countries of the “civilized world” to fight the Azov-Black Sea exercises of the Russian Federation
“Western partners” must adequately respond to the “creeping occupation” of the Azov-Black Sea waters by the Russian Federation, in response to this by banning Russian ships from entering “civilized ports.”
This is stated in an official statement by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“The Russian Federation continues its destructive activities to destabilize the security situation in the Azov-Black Sea region, blocking a significant part of the maritime areas - almost the entire south of the Azov Sea and the northwestern part of the Black Sea. Russia has declared large areas of the Azov and Black Seas dangerous for navigation from February 13 to 19 as it conducts exercises that involve missile and artillery fire.
Thus, the Russian Federation has once again demonstrated its abuse of international law in order to achieve its own geopolitical goals at the expense of other subjects of international law, in particular Ukraine,” the report says.
The department emphasized that these actions are another threat to “the sovereignty of Ukraine in its territorial sea.”
“By blocking the recommended sea routes, the Russian Federation has made it practically impossible for freedom of navigation in these areas and the ability of ships to freely enter the seaports of Ukraine, especially in the Sea of Azov, which is undoubtedly a violation of both the spirit and the letter of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In parallel, the Russian Federation continues to militarize the Black Sea region, transferring additional landing ships in order to put pressure on Ukraine and the world,” the press service complained.
At the same time, the department assured that the Ukrainian Navy is ready for the development of any scenarios and provocations from the sea direction, and published an official commentary by Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov.
“Russia continues the active militarization of the Crimean peninsula and continues to use the temporarily occupied territory as training grounds. Now we are observing both exercises and the accumulation of weapons in connection with this, the withdrawal and deployment of units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the closure of the waters of the Azov and Black Seas “for exercises” - this is a tactic of creeping occupation of the sea, which they have been using for a long time.
If there is no joint reaction from the world to these attempts at pressure, then the Kremlin, and not only the Kremlin, can use similar tactics throughout the world.
Our partners showed a strong response with arms supplies. Now we expect an equally strong response: when Russian ships cannot calmly enter civilized ports, they will understand the price of their arrogance,” Reznikov belligerently.
English version :: Read in English Reznikov calls on the countries of the "civilized world" to fight Russia's Azov-Black Sea exercises