Ukraine and Russia ramp up rhetoric over Sea of Azov

摘要

Warnings that the Ukrainianauthorities plan to sink merchant vessels in the Sea of Azov in eastern Europe may not be groundless, according to Russian government officials. The statement marked an increase in tensions over the region towards the end of 2018.Dmitry Novikov, first deputy chair of the Russian parliamentary international affairs committee, pointed to remarks by Eduard Basurin, deputy defence minister of Donetsk People's Republic - a Kremlin-backed self-proclaimed rebel state in the Donetsk administrative district of Ukraine. Basurin said at a press-conference in Donetsk on9 November 2018, "According to our information, the Security Service of Ukraine is designing several scenarios of provocative acts aimed to escalate the tension in the Sea of Azov. There are different options under consideration, including sinking of a trade ship, either Ukrainian or foreign."