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Ukraine has officially requested an explanation from Russia concerning explain military activities in border areas. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba states Moscow has 48 hours to respond, as he reports on his Facebook.
“We have officially applied the risk reduction mechanism, according to Section III of the Vienna Document, and asked the Russian Federation to provide detailed explanations on military activities in the areas adjacent to Ukraine and the temporarily occupied Crimea,” Kuleba stated.
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According to the Minister, according to the Vienna Document, Russia must provide the exact areas of military activity, announce the dates of its completion, as well as the name, subordination, number of military formations. In addition, Russia is obliged to report the types of weapons and military equipment involved.
“Russia has 48 hours to respond. In the absence of such information or insufficient or inadequate information, Ukraine will ask Russia and the other member states of the Vienna Document to convene an emergency meeting. We will continue to use all diplomatic opportunities to guarantee Ukraine’s security,” Kuleba added.
Earlier today, Ukrainian Embassy said that Turkey, which also belongs to the Black Sea region, is informed of the situation and would give an official response soon.
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According to the experts’ estimates, economic losses of the monthly blockade of Ukrainian ports can range from $ 25 million to $ 170 million a day.
In December, the Ukrainian Navy said that about 70% of the Azov Sea was blocked due to Russian military exercises. In April 2021, during another aggravation of Russian-Ukrainian relations, when Russia was also drawing troops to Ukraine’s borders, landing ships limited themselves to landing in the annexed Crimea. It lasted until October 2021.
February 10, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has voiced a strong protest against Russia’s steps on blocking part of the Black and Azov Seas and the Kerch Strait under the pretext of conducting naval exercises. According to the media reports, on February 9, Russia transferred six large landing ships of the Northern and Baltic Fleets to the Black Sea. Russian Defense Ministry assured the ships would take part in joint exercises. Even in 2014, during the operation to annex Crimea to the Black Sea, there were a maximum of four additional landing ships.
