From the BBC:
"Russia-Ukraine sea clash in 300 words"
Russian border guards intercepted and seized three Ukrainian navy boats off Crimea, in a major escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Why did this happen?
On Sunday two Ukrainian gunboats and a tug were sailing into the Kerch Strait, the only route for ships to enter the Sea of Azov from the Black Sea. Russia's FSB border guard force says the flotilla violated Russian territorial waters, after the FSB had temporarily closed an area of water to shipping. Ukraine calls it a flagrant violation of international law, because the incidents happened in the Black Sea, which is free for shipping, and annexed Crimea belongs to Ukraine. Kiev also cites a 2003 Russia-Ukraine treaty on unimpeded access to the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov.
How serious is this?
It is the most dangerous clash at sea off Crimea since Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014. Russia is now holding the three boats in Kerch. One was rammed on Sunday by an FSB vessel. The Russian forces opened fire before seizing the boats. Several Ukrainian sailors were injured. Russia also sent military aircraft to the scene. Ukraine's parliament is considering a decree from President Petro Poroshenko to impose martial law. The UN Security Council is holding a special meeting, requested by Russia and Ukraine.
How does it affect the conflict?
The risk is that the conflict in eastern Ukraine could intensify. The pro-Russian separatists there have Russian heavy weapons, while Ukraine has received help from the West. They have been fighting since April 2014. Russia opened a bridge over the Kerch Strait this year, tightening its grip on Crimea. Russia now regularly inspects Ukrainian ships in the Sea of Azov, imposing extra costs on Ukraine. The area is vital to the Ukrainian economy - steel, grain and other goods pass through it. The clash underlines the risks in the disputed waters off Crimea, which is recognised internationally as Ukrainian.
^ - On November 22, 2018 an article appeared in Russian and English language media stating that 61% of all Russians "hold President Vladimir Putin fully responsible for the problems the country is facing under his rule according to a new poll published by the independent Levada Center pollster."
- On November 25, 2018: Russia fired on three Ukrainian Navy ships. Russia captured the 3 ships along with 23 Ukrainian sailors.
* These two events happening within days of each other are not coincidence. Putin’s popularity within Russia is at historic lows and for the first time since he came into power in 2000 he doesn’t have the support of the majority of the Russian people behind him (due to: the Russian war with Georgia and the occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia; the Russian invasion, occupation and annexation of Crimea, the Russian war in Ukraine’s Donbas region, the Russian hacking of world governments, Russia’s support for Syria’s Assad dictatorship and helping him gas his own people, the Olympic Doping scandal and ban, Russia poisoning people in foreign countries, Russia’s pension reforms and the 4 years of internationally-imposed economic and political sanctions.) This current attack on Ukraine’s Navy is clearly just a smoke-screen that Putin wants to use to deflect attention from him and show he is still powerful (watch for another picture of him shirtless and riding a horse in the woods soon.) Hopefully, the Kool-Aid has completely worn-off the ordinary Russians for good. ^
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