Shots fired in the Sea of Azov, where tensions have been rising since the Crimean bridge was opened. Ukraine says Russia damaged an artillery boat & wounded one, after ramming a tugboat earlier today. See @ChristopherJM for background. facebook.com/navy.mil.gov.u… 
Essentially what happened is Ukraine tried to send 3 naval ships into the shared Azov Sea through the Kerch Strait, which is spanned by the Crimean bridge. Russia rammed one and later opened fire on another. It's closed traffic through the Kerch Strait rferl.org/a/ukraine-russ…
Russians to Ukrainian ships in Azov Sea: "Stop or we'll shoot"
Ukrainians: "We're going thru Kerch Strait to Black Sea...this is not an attack"
*time passes*
Ukrainians: "We have wounded! We need help!"
That's according to allegedly intercepted radio calls
news.liga.net/politics/video…
Ukrainians: "We're going thru Kerch Strait to Black Sea...this is not an attack"
*time passes*
Ukrainians: "We have wounded! We need help!"
That's according to allegedly intercepted radio calls
news.liga.net/politics/video…
Russia's FSB says the Azov incident is all a big "provocation" & Ukrainian ships are returning to port. But in these alleged radio intercepts you can hear Russians saying "everyone on the ship put your hands up!" after Ukrainians say they have wounded men news.liga.net/politics/video…
Russia has now admitted it shot at & captured 3 Ukrainian naval ships, wounding 3 sailors. The takeaway from all this is that Russia, having built a bridge to Crimea, is now blocking access to the Sea of Azov, which it is supposed to share with Ukraine rt.com/news/444853-ru…
The EU has called on Russia restore Ukraine's freedom of passage at the Kerch Strait & de-escalate the situation. What will Trump say? Russia is taking control of the only entrance to the shared Azov Sea on his watch. @AlexKokcharov eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/h…
More than 10,300 have been killed in almost 5 years of conflict with Russia-backed separatists in Donbass, but no martial law. Now 6 sailors are injured in the Azov Sea & Poroshenko wants to implement martial law. And it's not to do with his low ratings before March's election!?
Russia struck a blow to international order when it captured 3 Ukrainian ships & closed off the Azov Sea. Ukraine will strike a blow to democracy if parliament approves Poroshenko's request for martial law & postpones March's election. Bad situation worse news.liga.net/politics/news/…
Russia says it seized 3 Ukrainian ships that "entered its territorial waters near Crimea." Territorial waters=22.2km. But the coordinates heard in the ships' distress calls published by @LIGAnet (44°51'00.0"N 36°23'04.0"E) are 23.1km from Crimean shore 🤔 rt.com/news/444853-ru…
Annexation of Crimea: No martial law in Ukraine
Hundreds killed in fighting with Russian troops in Ilovaisk: No martial law
Losses of Mariupol border, Donetsk airport, Debaltseve: No martial law
2 gunboats & a tug captured in Azov Sea: Martial law!?
en.hromadske.ua/posts/azov-sea…
Hundreds killed in fighting with Russian troops in Ilovaisk: No martial law
Losses of Mariupol border, Donetsk airport, Debaltseve: No martial law
2 gunboats & a tug captured in Azov Sea: Martial law!?
en.hromadske.ua/posts/azov-sea…
Still a huge backup of shipping through the Kerch Strait (i.e. under the Crimean bridge) after yesterday's incident
Measures that could be adopted when Ukraine's parliament considers martial law today:
-Property seizures
-Media censorship
-Protest ban
-Alcohol ban & curfew
-Internment of Russian citizens
-Cancellation of March's presidential election
@Matthew_Kupfer kyivpost.com/ukraine-politi…
-Property seizures
-Media censorship
-Protest ban
-Alcohol ban & curfew
-Internment of Russian citizens
-Cancellation of March's presidential election
@Matthew_Kupfer kyivpost.com/ukraine-politi…
Seems the martial law Poroshenko is pushing thru may avoid many possible excesses but we can't be sure because the last part of his plan is "secret." Yet vague pts about an "information campaign" & law enforcement by military units still sound sinister president.gov.ua/documents/3902…
After opposition from parliamentary factions, Poroshenko promises to introduce a law in December so the presidential election isn't postponed. But first approve martial law...
interfax.com.ua/news/political…
interfax.com.ua/news/political…
It's great that Poroshenko's martial law was in the end cut back to 1 month & 10 regions. But he has still been given the ability to curtail rights without a whole lot ot evidence of an imminent Russian invasion pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2018/…
This is far from the worst case scenario though, especially considering that nationalist protesters want even more drastic action apnews.com/8e589f41cbc045…
