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KERCH STRAIT PROVOCATION

Ukraine staged provocation at sea to declare martial law, says Russian senator

The entire provocation had been plotted to serve that aim, the Russian senator believes

© Russian Federal Security Service/TASS

MOSCOW, November 26. /TASS/. Ukraine’s provocation with its vessels violating Russia’s state border was staged in order to impose martial law, Chairman of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev said on Monday.

"Touching on the imposition of martial law in Ukraine: first of all, it is clear that this step is a reason rather than an aftermath. This entire provocation in the Sea of Azov had been plotted to this aim. There was certainly hope that something more serious would have occurred, but in this situation that’s enough for Kiev," Kosachev wrote on Facebook.

Read also

Passage through Kerch Strait open for civilian vessels after Ukraine standoff

The senator noted that the Kiev authorities seek to make maximum use of "this shameful pirate PR stunt" - a sounding beginning of Pyotr Poroshenko’s election campaign, the wish to make Ukraine again top the headlines in international media and the need to create urgent pretexts for the condemnation of Russia by the world community.

On November 25, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) border directorate for Crimea reported that three Ukrainian warships had illegally crossed Russia’s state border in the Black Sea and entered Russia’s territorial waters performing dangerous maneuvers. Later on, the FSB said that two more Ukrainian warships had sailed off from Berdyansk to join the three vessels. However, they soon turned back.

All three Ukrainian Navy vessels, which violated the Russian state border, were detained in the Black Sea, with weapons used to force them to stop. Three wounded Ukrainian military servicemen received medical care, the FSB said, adding that there was no threat to their lives. A criminal case has been initiated over violation of Russia’s state border.

Due to the situation in the Kerch Strait, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexander Turchinov earlier voiced the initiative on imposing martial law in the country for 60 days backed by the Ukrainian president. Now this bill is to be considered by Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament). According to its speaker Andrei Parubiy, its meeting will be convened on Monday at 16:00 local time (17:00 Moscow time).

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