Table of Contents
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Russia has fired on and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels off the Crimean Peninsula in a major escalation of tensions between the two countries. Two gunboats and a tug were captured by Russian forces. A number of Ukrainian crew members were injured. Each country blames the other for the incident.
HOW IT UNFOLDED
The crisis began when Russia accused the Ukrainian ships of illegally entering its waters. The Russians placed a tanker under a bridge in the Kerch Strait – the only access to the Sea of Azov, which is shared between the two countries.
LOCATION
BOTH COUNTRIES BLAMING EACHOTHER
- Under a 2003 treaty between Moscow and Kiev, the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov are shared territorial waters.
- But recently there, Russia began inspecting all vessels sailing to or from Ukrainian ports.
ACCUSATIONS ON RUSSIA
- Ukraine says Russia’s actions have violated the treaty, as well as the United Nations Law of the Sea, which should guarantee access through the strait.
- Russian officials said the Ukrainian ships were maneuvering dangerously, requiring the strait to be temporarily closed for safety.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the escalation Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has asked parliament to vote Monday on whether to impose martial law on the country for 60 days
WHAT HAS THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE BEEN?
The European Union called on Russia to “restore freedom of passage at the Kerch Strait” and urged “all to act with utmost restraint”. Nato said it “fully supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity, including its navigational rights in its territorial waters”. It said Russia should “ensure unhindered access to Ukrainian ports in the Azov Sea”
ANNEXATION OF CRIMEA BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
The Crimean peninsula was annexed from Ukraine by the Russian Federation in February–March 2014
CASUALTIES OF THE UKRAINIAN CRISIS
More than 10,000 Ukrainians have died 23,500 injured
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