MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. No restrictions have been imposed on the passage of ships through the Kerch Strait, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, when asked to comment on claims that Ukrainian ships were being denied passage permissions.
"I don’t know about any restrictions. On the contrary, we know that traffic through the Kerch Strait continues normally," Peskov said. He also pointed out that depending on weather conditions, the port of Kerch might sometimes make decisions concerning navigation but questions about the issue should be forwarded to the relevant agencies.
Kerch Strait incident
On November 25, three Ukrainian navy ships illegally crossed Russia’s border and tried to carry out some illegal actions in Russian territorial waters later in the day. They ignored legitimate demands to stop issued by vessels belonging to the FSB Border Service and the Black Sea Fleet and continued maneuvering dangerously. In order to stop the Ukrainian ships, weapons had to be used. The three vessels were detained in Russian territorial waters. Three Ukrainian military servicemen suffered light wounds and were provided with medical assistance. A criminal investigation has been opened into the border incident.
Moscow slammed the incident as a provocation. The European Union and NATO called for de-escalation, while Kiev declared a 30-day martial law starting from November 28.