FILE IMAGE: A Russian border patrol vessel. SOURCE: RIA Novosti
Russian coastguards have detained a Ukrainian fishing vessel in the Black Sea, west of Cape Tarkhankut off the coast of the Russian Republic of Crimea, Russia’s FSB Border Department in Crimea said in a statement on May 4.
According the statement, the fishing vessel YMK-0041 (homeported in Ochakiv, Ukraine) was detained for “illegal fishing”. Coastguards sezied the illegal fishing gear – several kilometers of nets. The vessel and its crew of five Ukrainian citizens were brought to Crimea for further procedural actions.
On May 3, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine complained that Russian coastguards had started to inspect vessels heading to Ukraine on a daily basis. The inspections began on April 30 and followed the March 25 incident when Ukrainian coastguards seized the Nord fishing vessel flying the flag of the Russian Federation in the territorial waters of Russia. The Nord fishing vessel with 10 people on board was arrested and tugged to the Ukrainian port of Berdiansk.
Initially, Russia acted carefully using mostly diplomatic channels to solve the issue. However, the Ukrainian stance forces Moscow to implement direct actions to defend Russian vessels and to establish the law and order in the area.
That’s always like this. The Empire and it’s stooges do something illegal, but whine incessantly when the retaliation comes forward, even when the retaliation is withing framework of accepted international laws or norms.
Now, was that a real fishing vessel or a phishing vessel? The Soviets and Americans had huge vessels of the latter kind shadowing each other’s carriers and subs.