Russia has blocked 70% of the Sea of Azov

As of December 10, Russia had blocked 70% of the Sea of Azov by the navigational warnings with shipping restrictions, reports Militarnyi.

Among these areas is the water area near the Ukrainian port cities of Mariupol, Berdiansk and Henichesk.

The Ukrainian Navy pointed that in some places boundaries of the restricted areas are approaching the Ukrainian coastline up to 4 miles distance.

Restricted areas according to the Russian navigational warnings:

• 602A (near Biruchyi Island Spit)
• 602B (near Obitochna Spit)
• 602C (near Mariupol)

Such blockings occur systematically and impede free navigation in the Sea of Azov.

“The announcement of the navigational warnings by the Russian Federation in the Sea of Azov in the immediate vicinity to the Ukrainian Navy bases and civilian ports is an open provocation,” was stated by the press service of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Just yesterday, the putting out to the sea of the search and rescue vessel “Donbass” (A500) and its approaching for 18 miles to the Kerch Strait was called a “threat” in Russia.

The project manager of the Institute of Black Sea Strategic Studies Andrii Klymenko called it a typical “making a mountain out of a molehill,” because the distance of 18 miles was declared, but for example it’s 60 miles from Berdiansk to the Kerch Strait.

Since the beginning of the occupation of Crimea, Russia has resorted to various provocations against Ukraine at sea, for example, on September 13, 2018, the Mangust-class (Project 12150) PSKA-651 patrol boat of the FSB RF Coast Guard several times deliberately performed dangerous maneuvers of the approaching with and crossing the heading of the Ukrainian Sea Guard ship BG-59 “Oniks”.

However, the most memorable case associated with the strengthening of Ukrainian forces in Azov was the attack on two small artillery boats “Berdiansk” and “Nikopol,” as well as the tugboat “Yany Kapu” on November 25, 2018.