Georgia calls attack on Ukrainian navy vessels by Russia alarming
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Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has called “alarming” to the attack on Ukrainian navy vessels by Russia on Sunday and called upon the international community to make timely measures to settle the conflict which causes threats “for the regional security.”
Closely following alarming developments in #AzovSea & #KerchStrait. Attack on Ukrainian navy vessels&siezure of them is a blatant violation of Int.maritime law and undermines security of the whole region. Geo fully supports Ukraine's sovereignty&territorial integrity @MFA_Ukraine
— David Zalkaliani (@DZalkaliani) November 26, 2018
Zalkaliani has already met with Ukrainian Ambassador to Georgia Ihor Dolhov, who thanked Georgia for “such a supportive statement,” and hoped that the international community would give a relevant assessment to the “open aggression against Ukraine.”
He stated that three Ukrainian vessels have been seized and 23 crew members have been detained by Russia.
Out of the 23 sailors six are wounded,” Dolhov said.
Late on 25 November Russia opened fire to Ukraine's Berdyansk and Nikopol gunboats, and the Yana Kapa tug, which were sailing from the Odessa port of the Black Sea to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov, which is shared by Russia and Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government claims that Russia tried to intercept the ships through ramming the tug.
Ukraine says that the vessels continued to the Kerch Strait, which is an only access to the Azov Sea. However, a Russian tanker blocked them.
Russia also sent two helicopters and two fighter jets at the scene, which hit gunboats so that they were disabled to leave the area.
Ukraine says that six crew members have been injured, while Russia claims that the number of wounded was three.
Ukraine also speaks about Ukrainian captives.
Russia says that Ukraine “illegally entered its waters” and that it acted “for security purposes.”
Russia and Ukraine have had a dispute regarding the access to the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov since 2014, since the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula by Russia.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting following the developments.