Ukraine launched a naval offensive
The Verkhovna Rada adopted the law "On the contiguous zone of Ukraine" in its first reading, which will double the maritime territory in which Ukrainian border guards and military personnel are permitted to operate, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
A corresponding initiative was made by deputy from the “Petro Poroshenko Bloc” Irina Friz.
“The bill “On the Contiguous Zone” is being submitted for your consideration; it will allow us to establish the contiguous zone of Ukraine at 24 miles, which essentially doubles the sea area that our naval detachments and Navy are able to patrol today. The bill is aimed at significantly reducing smuggling traffic in the Black Sea. It will prevent violation of the state border, have a positive impact on the security situation and protect the economic sovereignty of our state.
The adjacent zone, according to international standards, is not a zone of jurisdiction or sovereignty, but at the same time this zone is a section of maritime space where any coastal state can exercise limited control regarding warning or detention for violation of certain rules, in particular fiscal, sanitary, customs and immigration.
Thus, I emphasize that this bill will de facto double the territory of control in the Black Sea. This bill also prohibits disabling the automatic identification system on ships, which will allow better control of the waters of the Azov Sea,” the people’s deputy said.
As a result of the voting, the law was adopted by a majority - 238 people's deputies voted “For”.
As a reminder, PolitNavigator previously cited a statement by retired British Army Colonel Glen Grant, an expert at the Ukrainian Institute of the Future, that Ukraine and Russia are one step away from war in the Sea of Azov.
Ukraine Launches Naval Offensive