Russia Fires on Ukrainian Naval Forces

On November 25th, the Ukrainian military reported that Russian boats fired on and seized three of its ships. Twenty-four Ukrainian soldiers were aboard the captured ships, and they are now being held in Russian custody. Six of the soldiers were injured in the clash.

The conflict occurred over territorial claims to the Kerch Strait, an essential waterway for each country. Ukraine uses the strait to allow ships to leave from Mariupol to enter the Black Sea allow for overseas trade. For Russia, the strait serves as a way for Russia to send ships to Crimea, one of its annexed territories.

The attack occurred as the Ukrainian vessels were planning to enter the Kerch Strait on their way to Mariupol, a city in Ukraine. Among the three captured vessels were the Berdyansk and Nikopol, both gunboats, and the tugboat Yana Kapu.

Each country alleges that the other engaged in illegal activity during the altercation. Russia’s Federal Security Service border service (FSB) in Crimea asserts that Ukranian ships illegally entered the strait and participated in “dangerous maneuvers.” The FSB didn’t specify the maneuvers in question. The Ukrainian navy maintains that the Russian navy violated the terms of the agreement between the two countries over the strait by seizing their ships.

President Trump cancelled his meeting with the Russian president due to Putin’s refusal to release the Ukrainian soldiers. At the G20 summit, Russian president Vladimir Putin stated that it is “too early” to release the prisoners. Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko said that he would be willing to meet with President Putin to de-escalate the conflict.

The EU’s decision of the Kerch Strait will likely change the diplomatic landscape of Europe. On December 13, the EU announced that it will aid Ukraine, but they did not commit to imposing sanctions on Russia. Talks have yet to occur, but any decisions made by the Ukrainian or Russian military will likely set the stage for relations not only between Russia and Ukraine, but Europe as a whole.

Article by MoCo Student staff writer Nene Narh-Mensah of Montgomery Blair High School