Russia dictating situation in Azov Sea, using it as a war theater, says Ukrainian foreign minister
The Azov Sea is being dominated by Russia, and in the case of war the Kremlin will use its domination to put pressure on the southern Ukrainian cities on the Azov Sea coast, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has told the Washington Post.
Ukraine’s fleet is limited in its movement on the Azov Sea by what Kyiv says is Russia’s regular practice of restricting some zones at short notice for what it claims are artillery training exercises, the newspaper wrote.
“Under the current circumstances of course Russia dictates the situation in the Azov, basically using it as a theater of military activities,” Kuleba said.
According to the Washington Post, U.S. intelligence has warned that the Kremlin could be planning a multipronged military attack against Ukraine as soon as early next year.
“For all the international attention paid to the concentration of Russian troops on Ukraine’s land borders, if an invasion originates from the sea, Ukrainian forces are largely powerless,” it said.
In turn, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, warned that any attempt to invade Ukraine from the sea would be countered by Ukraine’s arsenal of Neptune anti-ship missiles, a batch of which the country ordered last year.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces on Dec. 10 reported that Russia had closed off about 70 percent of the Azov Sea, which is bordered by Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Crimea, the coast of mainland Ukraine, and Russian coastal areas.
Danilov on Dec. 22 said that Russia had deployed about 122,000 troops near the borders of Ukraine and in the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.
International media have speculated that Russia may invade Ukraine in early 2022, an operation that could involve up to 175,000 Russian soldiers.
Both U.S. and European officials have expressed concern over the situation. U.S. President Joe Biden has announced that the White House is working out “the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do.”
During his talks with Putin on Dec. 7, Biden “made it clear the United States and its allies will respond with decisive economic and other measures in the case of a military escalation,” the White House said.
According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, Russia continued the buildup of its troops after the Biden-Putin talks.
Ambassadors from the G7 advanced economies issued an official statement on Dec. 12, warning the Kremlin that there would be “massive consequences and a severe cost” if Russia carried out further military aggression against Ukraine.
In addition, in a resolution adopted on Dec. 16, the European Parliament called for the imposition of “severe economic and financial sanctions against the Russian government to address immediate threats, rather than waiting for another invasion to take place before taking action.”
At a press conference on Dec. 23, Putin refused to provide a guarantee of non-aggression against Ukraine. He claimed that Russia’s actions would depend on security guarantees.
Both U.S. and European officials have expressed concern over the situation. U.S. President Joe Biden has announced that the White House is working out “the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do.”
During his talks with Putin on Dec. 7, Biden “made it clear the United States and its allies will respond with decisive economic and other measures in the case of a military escalation,” the White House said.
According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, Russia continued the buildup of its troops after the Biden-Putin talks.
Ambassadors from the G7 advanced economies issued an official statement on Dec. 12, warning the Kremlin that there would be “massive consequences and a severe cost” if Russia carried out further military aggression against Ukraine.
In addition, in a resolution adopted on Dec. 16, the European Parliament called for the imposition of “severe economic and financial sanctions against the Russian government to address immediate threats, rather than waiting for another invasion to take place before taking action.”
At a press conference on Dec. 23, Putin refused to provide a guarantee of non-aggression against Ukraine. He claimed that Russia’s actions would depend on security guarantees.
Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry said on Dec. 25 that 10,000 troops from Russia’s Southern Military District based in Rostov-on-Don were returning to their permanent bases after “field drills” near Russia’s border with Ukraine.
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