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KERCH STRAIT PROVOCATION

Lithuania plans to bar Russian citizens involved in Kerch Strait incident from entry

According to the Lithuanian media, nearly 20 people could be included in the sanctions list

VILNIUS, December 6. /TASS/. Lithuania plans to impose individual sanctions and prohibit Russian citizens involved in the detention of three Ukrainian warships that had violated the rules established in the Kerch Strait from entering the country, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said on its website on Thursday.

"The Foreign Ministry proposed the Migration Department including those directly involved in the actions against the Ukrainian warships along with those responsible for it in a list of undesirable persons," reads the statement.

The ministry also said that Lithuania "actively consults with other members of the international community regarding counter-measures against Russia" following the incident in the Sea of Azov.

According to the Lithuanian media, nearly 20 people could be included in the sanctions list.

Head of the Migration Department by the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior, Evelina Gudzinskaite, previously told TASS that the list of undesirable persons is not made public, meaning those added to it will only learn that they are barred from entry when crossing the border.

Kerch Strait standoff

KERCH STRAIT PROVOCATION

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on November 25 that the Ukrainian warships, the Berdyansk, the Nikopol and the Yany Kapu had breached the Russian state border on Sunday morning and attempted to carry out illegal maneuvers in Russia’s territorial waters later. The Ukrainian vessels ignored the legitimate demands of the Coast Guard of the FSB Border Service and the Black Sea Fleet to stop immediately and end their dangerous action. The Ukrainian warships carried on, blatantly disregarding these orders, which triggered a chase involving some gunfire to stop them. Consequently, the ships were detained in Russian territorial waters.

Moscow branded Kiev’s stunt in the Kerch Strait a dangerous provocation, while the European Union and NATO called for a de-escalation of tensions.

Ukraine in turn imposed martial law across the Vinnytsia, Lugansk, Nikolayev, Odessa, Sumy, Kharkov, Chernigov, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson Regions along with the country’s territorial waters in the Azov-Kerch water zone.

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