KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine criticized Russian naval workouts close to its southern coast on Thursday, saying the presence of warships have been a part of a “hybrid struggle” that had made navigation in the Black Sea and Azov Sea just about unimaginable.
In a press release by the international ministry, Ukraine stated Russia’s actions “present blatant disregard for the foundations and rules of worldwide legislation” and that Kyiv would work along with companion international locations to organize a response.
“Such aggressive actions by the Russian Federation as a part of its hybrid struggle in opposition to Ukraine are unacceptable,” the assertion stated. “This is a major and unjustified complication of worldwide shipping, particularly commerce, which may trigger advanced financial and social penalties, particularly for the ports of Ukraine.”
Moscow is staging naval drills in the Black Sea this month concurrently it holds floor drills north of Ukraine in Belarus, a part of a present of drive that the West says could possibly be a precursor to an invasion, which Moscow denies.
Russia stated six warships had arrived at Sevastopol in Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. There was no instant remark from Moscow on Ukraine’s statements.
Ukraine has lengthy accused Russia of attempting to strangle commerce from its southern ports by mounting what it calls de facto blockades. Ukraine, one of many world’s main exporters of metal, grain and sunflower oil, carries exports by way of ports on the Black and Azov Seas – Odessa, Pivdeny, Chornomorsk, Kherson, Mariupol and Berdyansk.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Matthias Williams and Natalia Zinets)
