Two Ukrainian warships enter Sea of Azov to become part of newly created naval base

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko announced that two Ukrainian warships, which would become part of the newly created naval base of the Ukrainian fleet on the Sea of Azov, had entered the sea waters.

"I congratulate our warships - A500 Donbas search and rescue vessel and A830 Korets seagoing tug - on entering the Sea of Azov. They will be part of the newly created naval base of the Ukrainian fleet on the Sea of Azov," the Head of State wrote on Facebook.

On September 20, the Ukrainian military portal informed that A500 Donbas search and rescue vessel and A830 Korets seagoing tug left the western naval base of the Ukrainian Navy in Odesa in the direction of Berdiansk, where they would form the basis of the newly created naval base of the Ukrainian fleet on the Sea of Azov.

Russia has been blocking ships heading towards the ports of Berdiansk and Mariupol over the past months. Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan stated that Ukraine was negotiating with the EU countries and the United States on imposition of sanctions on Russia in response to the blockade of the Sea of ​​Azov.

The U.S. Department of State called Russia's actions in the Sea of ​​Azov an attempt to destabilize Ukraine.

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