{"id":91068,"date":"2018-11-26T01:47:05","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T01:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/uacrisis.org\/?p=69801"},"modified":"2018-11-27T12:53:32","modified_gmt":"2018-11-27T10:53:32","slug":"69801-russland-greift-im-asowschen-meer-ist-bekannt-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/en\/69801-russland-greift-im-asowschen-meer-ist-bekannt-live","title":{"rendered":"Russia attacks in the Azov Sea: what we know so far. LIVE"},"content":{"rendered":"

Russia has provoked a conflict with Ukraine in the Kerch Strait. In the morning on November 25 a motor boat of the Russian Federation\u2019s coast guard rammed a Ukrainian tugboat (video<\/a>). In the evening following long-standing blocking of Ukrainian ships Russian vessels opened fire towards them. These actions come as most aggressive in the Azov Sea since the escalation started. UCMC is following the developments. We\u2019ll keep you updated with information from trusted sources. <\/em><\/p>\n

Key facts at a glance<\/strong><\/p>\n

At night between November 24 and 25 three Ukrainian vessels \u2013 two small armored artillery motor boats \u201cBerdyansk\u201d and \u201cNikopol\u201d as well as a tow boat \u201cYany Kapu\u201d left the port of Odesa headed towards the port of Mariupol. On their way the Russian motor boat of the coast guard \u201cDon\u201d rammed the Ukrainian tow boat. Video<\/a>. Later in the day Ukrainian vessels were fired upon, six marines were wounded.<\/p>\n

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Ukraine\u2019s Parliament cast 276 votes to support the introduction of martial law<\/strong>. Martial law will come into effect on November 28, will last 30 days and will cover not the entire territory of Ukraine but 10 regions bordering on Russia and Transnistria.<\/p>\n

At the same time the MPs voted to have the date of the Presidential elections scheduled for March 31, 2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n

President Petro Poroshenko decided to change his decree on martial law, reducing his term from 60 to 30 days.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He stated this during a video talk about the military situation.<\/p>\n

“National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine has recommended today to introduce a martial law for 60 days. I want to declare my decision: I will propose to the Parliament to introduce a martial law for 30 days,” Poroshenko said.<\/p>\n

He explained his decision by the fact that he does not want “a martial law not to be imposed on the beginning of the election campaign for a day.”<\/p>\n

“To those, who worry about their party or their political interests more than the nation and Ukrainian interest, there is now no reason for dirty political speculations and insinuations,” Poroshenko said.<\/p>\n

He stressed that “the martial law will last for 30 days and will end in mid-December.”<\/p>\n

It is planned to launch it from November 28.<\/p>\n

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Regions under martial law starting November 28<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Statements made by Ihor Voronchenko, Commander of the Ukrainian Naval Forces made at a joint press briefing with the Foreign Affairs Minister Klimkin in Kyiv.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ukraine had notified in advance on its vessels entering the 12-mile zone and on the planned crossing of the Kerch Strait.<\/p>\n

There were no attempts to provoke on the Ukrainian side. Ukrainian military are in possession of the audio evidence of how Ukrainian marines were responding. All footage will be passed to the court.<\/p>\n

Ukrainian vessels were not provoking neither the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation nor the Russian motor boats. Two Ukrainian armored motor boats and a tow boat that lost mobility were followed by 10 different vessels including the vessels of the Black Sea fleet and the motor boats of the Federal Security Service. There is an audio recording that captures the captain of the Ukrainian \u201cBerdyansk\u201d vessel telling the Russian side that he is not committing any illegal actions and is not pointing weapons at them. Fire for effect came as a response. Three persons were wounded with fragments, they are in a Kerch hospital.<\/p>\n

Part of the audio and video footage is left on the motor boats.<\/p>\n

Ukraine was considering the possibility of using its aviation against the aviation of the Russian Federation but did not do it understanding that there\u2019s a large amount of antiaircraft defense systems deployed to the Crimean peninsula.<\/p>\n

Radio communication between the Russian leadership and border guard ships<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Ukraine\u2019s Foreign Affairs Minister Pavlo Klimkin gave a press-briefing. The position of the Foreign Affairs Ministry on the situation in the Azov Sea is as follows.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. Actions undertaken by the Russian Federation in the Kerch Strait and in the Black Sea qualify as the use of force in the territory of Ukraine, they violate the basic provision of the international law stipulated by the part 4 of the Article 2 of the UN Charter.<\/li>\n
  2. Actions undertaken by the Russian Federation in Ukraine\u2019s territorial waters in the Black Sea and in the Kerch Strait qualify as usurpation of Ukraine\u2019s sovereign rights guaranteed by the Article 2 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which Russia is a party.<\/li>\n
  3. Any references that the Russian Federation is making on the alleged violations of its state border are a priori illegitimate. Any claims on Ukraine\u2019s territorial waters that the Russian Federation is putting forward were recognized illegitimate by the UN General Assembly, they have also become the reason for Ukraine and its partners including the US, the EU, Canada etc. to introduce counter measures against the Russian Federation.<\/li>\n
  4. Actions undertaken by the Russian Federation violate the freedom of maritime navigation. The Articles 38 and 44 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea strictly prohibit to impede the peaceful transit across the Kerch Strait. To add, the Russian Federation is demonstrating through its actions the nullity of bilateral agreements on the Kerch Strait and the Azov Sea, as the Russian Federation had no intention to adhere to them. Thus, all the references that the Russian Federation is making on some ephemeral \u201ccommon internal waters of Ukraine and Russia\u201d are groundless.<\/li>\n
  5. Actions undertaken by the Russian Federation deteriorate the legal dispute between Ukraine and the Russian Federation that has been subject to consideration by the respective international court since 2016. These actions contradict both the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the general international law.<\/li>\n
  6. All the violations of the international law listed above will be considered by the UN Security Council.<\/li>\n
  7. In accordance with the UN Charter Ukraine will be seeking ways for a peaceful resolution of the dispute as foreseen by the Article 33 of the Charter. It also preserves the possibility of applying its right of self-defense as stipulated by the Article 51 of the Charter.<\/li>\n
  8. Furthermore in accordance with the international law provisions on the responsibility that the states bear for violations of the international law, Ukraine will be applying counter measures and is calling upon the international community to exercise the measures of pressure upon Russia so that it lives up to its commitments.<\/li>\n
  9. As to the status of the captured crews, according to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 they are prisoners of war and the Russian Federation must adhere to the responsibilities as per the Convention. We are working with the International Committee of the Red Cross.<\/li>\n
  10. Martial law conditions will be defined at the parliamentary meeting based on the legislation in force and the scale of the actual threat.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    12:30\u00a0<\/strong>The fate of the captured Ukrainian marines remains unknown<\/p>\n

    The Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmyla Denysova demands from her Russian colleague Tatiana Moskalkova information on the actual state and whereabouts of the captured Ukrainian marines.<\/p>\n

    Later the Ukrainian Ombudswoman quoted Moskalkova saying that the Ukrainian marines are in Kerch.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThey are currently being interrogated by a detective of the border guard directorate of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. She said three Ukrainian marines are at the Kerch hospital no.1. Their condition was classified as not critical. Moskalkova has reassured me that all the necessary assistance was provided to them and there is no threat to their lives now,\u201d Denysova wrote.<\/p>\n

    During the extraordinary meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine the General Staff Head Viktor Muzhenko said that a total of 23 persons were on board of the seized Ukrainian vessels. The fate of the marines on board of the vessels of the Ukrainian Naval Forces that were seized by the Russian side is unknown to Ukraine.<\/p>\n

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    Crimea-based media released a photo of the captured Ukrainian motor boats moored in the Kerch port.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    Around 8:30 a.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    In clear violation of the UN convention on the Law of the Sea as well as the 2003 agreement between Russia and Ukraine on joint use of the sea of Azov, Russian border guards begin to aggressively intimidateUkrainian ships. Russian patrol boats, type \u201cSobol\u201d, search and rescue intelligence ship \u201cDon\u201d, boats of \u201cMangust\u201d type, search ship \u201cSuzdalets\u201d approach the Ukrainian navy group. \u201cDon\u201d ramsthe Ukrainian tugboat \u201cYany Kapu\u201d, damaging its main engine, shell plating and guard rail. A life raft of the tug islost. Russian dispatchers continue to ignore Ukrainian navy messages,trying tonotify on the planned passing through the Kerch strait.<\/p>\n

    4:07 a.m.\u00a0<\/strong>Ukrainian navy intercepts conversation of a dispatcher of \u201cKerch\u201d port informing the Russian navy ship \u201cSuzdalets\u201d onUkrainian navy ships in the strait. \u201cKerch\u201d and \u201cKavkaz\u201d ports continue to totallyignore Ukrainian navy requests in the radio wave.<\/p>\n

    3:58 a.m. <\/strong>According to international rules ofthesea navigation safety, small armored artillery boat of Ukrainian navy \u201cBerdyansk\u201d is calling the coastal post of the Russian FSBborder guards, as well as ports \u201cKerch\u201d and \u201cKavkaz\u201ddispatchersand informs about its intent to pass the Kerch strait. It receives no answer.<\/p>\n

    00:25 a.m.<\/strong>\u00a0President of Ukraine Poroshenko stated that he supports the suggestion of the Military Cabinet to introduce martial law resulting from the attack by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian vessels in proximity to the Kerch Strait. Poroshenko made the respective statement during the emergency meeting of the National Security and Defense Council.<\/p>\n

    The suggestion on the introduction of martial law now needs to be considered by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine\u2019s Parliament). The extraordinary parliamentary meeting on that is to take place on November 26 or 27 behind the closed doors.<\/p>\n

    According to President Poroshenko martial law:<\/p>\n

    Does not imply that Ukraine will be holding offensive operations. Instead the Armed Forces will be only defending their territory.<\/p>\n

    Does not imply the disposition change at the contact line in Donbas or in other parts of the country.<\/p>\n

    Does not foresee immediate military mobilization. Poroshenko called only first-line reserve to be on alert.<\/p>\n

    Does not foresees limits to citizens\u2019 constitutional rights and freedoms.<\/p>\n

    Does not mean that Ukraine will give up the peaceful resolution of the conflict with the Russian Federation in Donbas.<\/p>\n

    National Security and Defense Council suggested to the President introducing martial law for 60 days, the Head of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov said.<\/p>\n

    23:25 <\/strong>The military cabinet called by the President of Ukraine stated: \u201cThe attack of the Russian military upon Ukrainian vessels is an act of military aggression,\u201d said Oleksandr Turchynov, Head of the National Security and Defense Council<\/p>\n

    22:35\u00a0<\/strong>Six Ukrainian servicemen are wounded<\/a>\u00a0as a result of the shooting attack upon the Ukrainian motor boats, Ukraine\u2019s Naval Forces reported. As of 22:20 the Russian side seized the motor boat \u201cBerdyansk\u201d and the tow boat \u201cYany Kapu\u201d. \u201cNikopol\u201d motor boat is blocked and is moving escorted by Russian vessels. It is not known where the vessels are headed.<\/p>\n

    What we know several hours after the Ukrainian motor boats were fired upon by Russian vessels:<\/strong><\/p>\n