Author: williamturner

n November 23, 2018 the Ukrainian Navy boat group (small armored artillery boats “Nikopol”, “Berdyansk” and inshore tugboat “Yani Kapu”) started planned transit from the naval deployment – port of Odessa to the port of Mariupol. Ukrainian Navy boats were carrying regular armament without any specific means on board. The route and procedure were the same as of September, 2018 “Donetsk” and “Korets” vessels’ transit.

On November 24, 2018 during the naval march Ukrainian commander received Russian authorities’ notice concerning the closing of navigation in the Kerch Strait. International Centre for Navigation Control (Spain) did not confirm this notification.

On November 25, 2018 the commander of the Ukrainian Navy boat group requested twice the maritime control officer from Kerch port concerning passage through Kerch Strait. He did not receive the answer. Later the maritime control officer from Kerch port directed the Ukrainian Navy boat group to the so-called waiting area. It was stated that in some time Ukrainian vessels would be informed on the Kerch Strait passage procedure.

Approximately at 8:30-9:00 a.m. Russian coastguard ship made a ram attack against inshore tugboat “Yani Kapu” and damaged it. Besides, Russian vessels blocked Ukrainian boat group to prevent them to render assistance to a damaged vessel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fpFNSUC9p4

All the time during a provocation against Ukrainian Navy boats, Russian vessels were attempting to provoke Ukrainian seamen to open fire. Moreover, by 01:00-02:00 p.m. Russia used helicopters to patrol and convoy Ukrainian vessels.

From 1:40 p.m. Russia has physically blocked the passage beneath so-called “Kerch bridge” having located there a tanker and later a cargo ship.

After 7 p.m. due to the impossibility to pass the Strait, Ukrainian Navy ships headed back to exit a Kerch Strait. They were immediately followed by a group of 8-10 FSB Coast Guard and Russian Black Sea fleet vessels.

Approximately at 20:25 after the exit of Ukraine’s Navy boat group from 12 mile zone Russia’s Cost Guard boats opened fire on defeat. “Berdyansk” and “Nikopol” were damaged and lost the course. After that Ukrainian vessels were forced to stop and seized by FSB special forces (20:35-20:50). 6 Ukrainian military seamen are wounded. Also 1 boat of FSB Coast Guard damaged.

Ukraine has proven evidence that Russian aggressive actions were planned and authorized by the top Russian military officials. In particular, the Russian military videos in YouTube testifies that a ram of the Ukrainian tugboat “Yanni Kapu” was purposeful, and actions of the captain of the Russian patrol ship were oriented to inflicting harm to the Ukrainian vessel and crew.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpdlGAweVu4

Aggressive actions of the Russian military authorities correspond in full with the definition of aggression set forth in the UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX).

Now Russia cynically tries to shift all responsibility to the victim of the aggression, consciously manipulating the facts and ignoring all evidence.

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We all know that people’s rights are one of the principles of modern world, its prominent value. That is freedom of speech and freedom of faith.

Before the annexation of Crimea and Russian military aggression against Ukraine we could believe that these principles are shared by all countries, which are the UN members.

But Russia has declined these principles so easily, trying to make Ukraine stay in the sphere of its influence. Nowadays, we can see everyday violations of basic human rights in occupied Crimea and in the particular territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are under control of Russian militaries.

The story of pro-Ukrainian activist Vladimir Baluh is just the great example of it. Russian officials blamed him for his Ukrainian citizenship and for hanging out the Ukrainian flag at his private land.

Russia justifies the aggression against Ukraine as the defense of Russian-speaking population in this country. It blames Ukraine for violation of these rights, but it can never grant Ukrainians in Crimea with the same rights!

Civilized people can hardly understand this logic, but the truth is that Ukrainian citizen V. Baluh is under arrest and stays in Russian jail just because of his political position. Russian Themis is truly blind! Russian official authorities, who misappropriated billions of dollars, can easily be grounded, while Ukrainian for hanging the Ukrainian flag in Crimea has already got 3 years and 7 months of prison.

Even actual Russian law has no ban for hanging out flag of other state at the private territory. But Federal Security Service officials have found the way out, providing a search without witnesses in Baluh’s home which had great result. Gun cartridges were found and that was the reason to arrest Baluh and to sentence him to 3 years and 7 months due to Art. #222 of RF Criminal Code.

It is quite remarkable that Federal Security Service officers, who provided search in Baluh’s home, had no time to come to courtroom to be testified. They probably had enough reasons to skip court hearings, to be free of tough questions prepared by Baluh’s attorney. Nevertheless testimony of officers who provide search and carry out arrest is obligatory according to Russian law. So this situation discredits nature of the judicial process.

Maybe the wide international response caused such soft penalty for Baluh, but it proves that Russian authorities are afraid of Ukrainian flag in the Crimea, as it is the reminder that Crimea is Ukrainian territory. And repressions are the tools that Russia can use against the truth.

In his last plea, Baluh said that no matter of the verdict, he will never be ashamed of his children. His prosecutors can hardly say the same.

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