Displaying items by tag: Black Sea
Black Sea becomes a war front
Ukrainian military officials said on 7 May that they had sunk another Russian warship in the Black Sea. The ship was a craft designed to transport and deploy troops to the shore. The strike was executed with Turkish drones, which Ukraine has relied on during the war. Just weeks after the Russian flagship Moskva missile cruiser was hit by Ukraine’s missiles and sunk, this Russian warship was left burning in the Black Sea. A reliable naval source verified that a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile struck the vessel, with a large number of Russian aircraft circling overhead. Russia’s fleet is shrinking. See also
Ukraine - Russia Conflict - PRAY
Ukraine will not allow Russian men aged 16-60 into the country following the imposition of martial law, Kiev says. An exception would be made for "humanitarian cases" such as those travelling to funerals. Russia says it is not planning retaliatory measures.
Martial law has been imposed in 10 Ukrainian regions until 26 December 2018.
The move came as Ukraine's president expressed fears of a Russian invasion after Russian forces seized three Ukrainian boats and 24 sailors.
Ukraine said Sunday's incident in the Black Sea was a flagrant violation of international law, while Russia says the vessels violated its territorial waters.
It is the most dangerous clash at sea off Crimea since Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014.
What did Ukraine say?
The restrictions were announced after President Petro Poroshenko met the country's top security officials, including border guard chiefs, in Kiev.
The president tweeted (in Ukrainian) that the ban was designed to prevent the formation of "private armies" in Ukraine.
He was referring to Russian-backed separatists who formed units in April 2014 to fight Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine.
Mr Poroshenko also said registration criteria would be tightened for Russian citizens in the regions under martial law.
On Tuesday, he warned there was a threat of "full-scale war" with Russia.
"The number of [Russian] tanks at bases located along our border has grown three times," the president said.
Five of the 10 regions border Russia while two are adjacent to Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester region, where Russian troops are stationed. The other three regions border the Black Sea or Sea of Azov close to Crimea. (See article image courtesy of BBC)
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Kiev says the ban could have a devastating impact on cross-border travel as the holiday period approaches. Many Russians have relatives living in Ukraine.
Reacting to the Ukrainian ban, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow was not planning "mirror" measures as this "could result in full madness".
Russia earlier said the 30-day martial law in Ukraine had been declared in order to potentially suspend presidential elections set for 31 March.
It said President Poroshenko - whose approval ratings have plummeted - would then be the main beneficiary.
Mr Poroshenko denies the claim, saying the polls will be held as scheduled.
Please Pray:
That the situation does not escalate.
That this long running situation can be diplomatically resolved.
That people will be able to travel freely across the border again, especially looking forward to Christmas.
For peace in the region.
Two US destroyers sent into Black Sea
Two American destroyers have sailed into the Black Sea, the first time since 2014 that more than one US warship has operated in this tense region other than in an exercise. ‘Our decision to have two ships operate simultaneously in the Black Sea is proactive, not reactive’, said vice admiral Christopher Grady. ‘We operate at the tempo and timing of our choosing in this strategically important region.’ Russia has viewed US ships transiting these international waters as provocative, ever since it annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014. ‘The US is sending a message that it will defend its allies, uphold maritime laws and protect its offshore interests in Europe and Asia’, said a Naval War College professor of strategy. ‘We're putting Russia on notice in the Black Sea and China on notice in the South China Sea that we will not be deterred from going into those waters, and doing so in force.’