The attack on Ukrainian ships: Developments over the past two days. Facts without statements

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Рустем ХалиловQHA media
27 November 2018, 09:00
Рустем ХалиловQHA media
27 November 2018, 09:00

QHA media

On Sunday morning, November 25, Ukrainian gunboat Berdyansk and Nikopol, as well as the tug Yany Kapu were heading to the port of Mariupol in the Sea of ​​Azov from the port of Odesa in the Black Sea. Such maneuvers were carried out not for the first time.

Vessel Berdyansk informed the Russian side about plans to go through the Kerch Strait. No response was received.

Two Russian border ships and boats approached the Ukrainian ones. One of the ships rammed a Ukrainian tug.

At lunchtime, the Ukrainian vessels approached the Kerch Strait. Russia blocked the passage under the bridge through the strait, having run its tanker aground.

In the evening, the RF FSB Border Guard ships opened fire on the Ukrainian ships, and then captured them. Six Ukrainian sailors were wounded. A total of 23 Ukrainians were captured.

The entire grouping of the Naval Forces of Ukraine is alerted.

November 26

On the night of November 25-26, Petro Poroshenko convened the War Cabinet, and then the National Security and Defense Council. The President proposed to introduce martial law for 60 days. Speaker Andrшi Parubiy convened an emergency meeting of the Verkhovna Rada to consider this decision.

Ukraine also convenes an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

In Europe, the Russia’s actions condemned. Reportedly, Hryvnia depreciated.

Ukrainian ships were found in the port of Kerch, the captive sailors were interrogated by the FSB. A criminal case is initiated against Ukrainians for “illegal crossing of the state border” (providing up to six years’ imprisonment).

Poroshenko amended the decree on martial law. The Ukrainian parliament supported the amended version.

Martial law imposed in ten regions of Ukraine until December 27.

Regions of Ukraine where martial law was introdused: Chernihiv region, Sumy region,Kharkiv region, Luhansk region, Donetsk region, Zaporizhia region, Kherson region, Mykolaiv region, Odesa region, Vinnytsia region. 

Also, the Verkhovna Rada set the date for the election of the President of Ukraine: March 31, 2019.

A meeting of the UN Security Council was held in New York. No resolutions on the outcome were adopted. Following the meeting, representatives of European countries demanded to release the crews of the ships and return the vessels to Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump said he does not like what is happening. The US State Department condemned Russia's aggression.

The FSB published a video of the interrogation of captive sailors (who read the text prepared in advance) and stated that among them were two officers of the SBU (which was confirmed by Kyiv).