Former Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea Boris Babiy wrote a post on his Facebook, where he said that a Russian warship approached the shores of Ukraine at a distance of only 3.5 kilometers, which is the entrance to the territorial waters. Moreover, the Ukrainian military were able to notice him only with such a close approach, which caused a commotion.
The incident took place in the Sea of Azov near Berdyansk. The first Russian ship was discovered by the Ukrainian maritime security vessel Donbass. He was ordered to move further away. According to Babiy, the Russians referred to the agreement on the Sea of Azov, that it was “an internal sea of two states,” and “Ukrainian acts mean nothing to him” and the ship “maneuvers according to plan.” The Ukrainian fleet took no action. Russia did not comment on the incident.
Earlier, the commander of the combat fleet of Ukraine, Rear Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, said that the country’s navy is preparing for full-scale hostilities with Russia. He added that the preparations were prompted by the intention to return Crimea.