US calls on Russia to cease obstructing vessels transiting Kerch Strait

20.02.2019 11:23

Ukrinform

The United States calls on Russia to cease obstructing the vessels bound for Ukrainian ports and to release immediately the seized Ukrainian vessels and crew members.

“US calls on Russia to respect international obligations and cease obstructing, delaying, and harassing vessels transiting Kerch Strait bound for Ukraine ports and immediately release seized vessels and Ukrainian personnel,” the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine posted on Twitter.

As reported, the duration of the artificial delay of vessels in the Kerch Strait in the first half of February 2019 began to increase again. In particular, the monitoring group of the Maidan of Foreign Affairs, the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and the BlackSeaNews editorial board informed that on February 1-18, 2019, the duration of the artificial delay of the vessels bound for / from Mariupol and Berdiansk increased at the entry to the Sea of Azov on the average from 32.1 to 35.5 hours (+ 10.6%), at the exit from the Sea of Azov — on the average from 23.9 to 34.7 hours (+ 45.2%) compared with January 2019.