Moscow and Kyiv are arguing about the incident between the Crimea and the Russian mainland. What is happening in the Merrenge of Kerch? And what is at stake in this dispute?
What happened?
Last Sunday, the Russian Navy in the Kerch Strait has ships, three of the Ukrainian military travel in the sea of Azov is denied. The Strait is between the Russian mainland in the East and in 2014 Russia annexed Crimean Peninsula in the West. According to official data from Kiev, the ships of the Odessa should be laid on the Black sea to Mariupol on the Azov sea. On the journey, the Russian side had been informed in advance, informed the command of the Ukrainian Navy. The man looks in Moscow is different. The Ukrainian ships had illegally entered Russian territorial waters, claimed the Russian domestic secret service FSB, the border guard is responsible. You have stop prompted of the ships, the crews will not be fulfilled. In the course of the standoff, a Russian border guard vessel rammed a Ukrainian Navy tug and damaged him considerably. Later, all three Ukrainian ships of Russian troops were captured forces because of border violation confiscated. On the Ukrainian side, six Marines had been wounded, it was said in the Ukrainian Navy.
Why is the Strait of Kerch so important?
The Kerch Strait is the only connection between the two seas. Only the two major Ukrainian ports Mariupol and Berdyansk can be achieved. Especially for the Eastern-Ukrainian Mariupol, with its two large metallurgical plants of the sea is of vital importance. Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russia controlled the Strait of both sides, which makes it difficult to transport for Ukrainian ships. Particularly noticeable are the consequences of the Russian control after the completion of the Crimean bridge in may 2018. The bridge connects the Russian mainland with the occupied Peninsula. This has exacerbated the situation. Because of the FSB under all of the ships draws with a goal to Ukraine of a control. The Review will take sometimes for days. The volume of cargo decreases continuously since. The war in the Donbass is preparing the Ukrainian ports additional problems.
The controversial Crimean bridge was built by Russia without the participation of the Ukraine
Dispute to the law of the sea
In the current escalation in the Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of violations of the international law of the sea. They called, inter alia, the 1982 agreed international law of the sea Convention, which the two countries acceded in the 1990s. While Ukraine insists, in accordance with this agreement on the freedom of movement both in the Kerch Strait in the sea of Azov, the Russian side to draw territorial boundaries. Between the two countries, there is also a bilateral agreement on the free use of the Kerch Strait and the Azov sea. You are in Kiev. Moscow has made the agreement never in question.
Martial law in Ukraine
Against the Background of the incident in the Strait of Kiev has declared now for the first Time in the conflict with Russia, the laws of war. The Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed on Monday a corresponding decree of the Ukrainian Parliament – the Supreme Rada. Kiev made it clear that the war was right is not a Declaration of war on Russia, but only of the self-defense of the Ukraine serve. Nevertheless, the decision of the President is also in the Ukraine dispute. The laws of war is to be initially introduced only for 30 days. In this period, the rights of the Ukrainian citizens, such as, for example, the freedom of Assembly can be restricted. There is also speculation whether the March 2019 planned presidential elections can be held. The war should be extended the right, would put the elections in question.
Conflict as a result of the annexation of Crimea
The recent escalation in the Strait of Kerch exacerbated the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. After the overthrow of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Russia occupied the Ukrainian Peninsula in a covert action, which eventually led to the official annexation. The Russian state leadership, citing the results of a controversial referendum held on the Peninsula in the short term, and under the supervision of the Russian military. The annexation of the Crimea was recognized neither by Ukraine nor by the international community. The dispute over the Peninsula had already provided for a number of international judicial processes, which were mostly initiated by Kiev.
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