Things are heating up in Black sea -- Russian's aggression in the Kerch Straight, against three Ukrainian State vessels has heated up conflict in the area. Russia rammed a tug which was at a stop and fired at one other ship. The vessels were boarded and twenty-four sailors were taken into custody.
What must be understood is the ongoing tensions created by the Kremlin, Russian inspection of all vessels, and dangerous fly byes on aircraft over the Black sea. And these conditions are directed at 'all vessels' and 'aircraft' in the area, not only legally bound Ukrainian vessels entering into the Sea of Azov.
The forced inspection of vessels by the Russian Military, and an illegal bridge (Crimean bridge) quickly erected by the Kremlin after it's 2014 annexation of Crimea, or more to the point, thief of the Crimea, which is the property, and part and parcel of the Ukraine.
The loss of these old Soviet satellite nations has been bitter for the Kremlin, and they are given them up reluctantly and not without a fight.
With nearby Georgia -- a fifth of the area still dominated militarily by Russian forces.
The largest city on the coast of the sea of Azov is Mariupol. With a population of half a million Ukrainians. There are five other smaller Ukrainian cities, that are serviced by imports and exports brought through the Strait of Kerch. The Ukrainian Navy has access to those cities via the Azov sea.
With the illegal building of the Crimean bridge a hastily built bridge, that did not come up for tender, but the contract was given to Putin's close friend and billionaire Arkady Rotenberg. Mentioned in the Panama papers with Putin.
Planning for the bridge commenced in 2014, annexation of the Crimea happened in March of 2014.
Rotenberg has received many contracts under Vladimir Putin over the years, through the state-run Gazprom, at inflated prices, and this has made him vastly rich. Normally his company Stroygazmontazh (SGM Group) builds gas pipelines, which SGM Group does at overly rich contracted prices.
Gazprom which built the Blue Stream gas pipeline to Turkey,
In another earlier bid of pipeline services, it rejected a plan that was cheaper, only to give the 350 miles pipeline to Rotenberg for $45 Billion, that is 300 % of regular costs.
Rotenberg had formed SGM group from five companies it purchased from Gazprom for $348 million.
The very next year SGM Group earned $2 Billion.
Gazprom is a Russian government company. And they consistently pay their friend Arkady Rotenberg on average, 300% over costs. He has built highways, pipelines, and toll roads on Russian Federal highways.
So his illegal work on the Crimean Bridge, the Kerch Strait Bridge went unimpeded and over priced as usual. The bridge is an illegal bridge, the EU believes this, the U.N. believes this...
The bridge is built too low, to now accommodate larger ships that use to be able to pass through the Kerch Straight.
Ukraine has two major ports that were utilized with larger vessels to export steel and agricultural products. It is estimated that Ukraine has lost about 25% of its shipping because of the bridge. The bridge is really only a blockade and aims to isolate the Ukraine, and cripple its economy. The bridge inspections have gone up since the Crimean bridge completion.
Situations like this can only escalate tensions in the area, along with Russia aim to increase the GDP per capita in the Crimea, which was the lowest in the Ukraine, to now post-annexation at, ten times what it was before the annexation. At the cost to the five other cities on the Azov sea. This could only be seen as an economic war.
In May 15th 2018, Vladimir Putin like a modern-day Napoleon, got in behind the wheel of a truck and led a convoy of trucks across the Kerch Strait bridge in an inauguration ceremony. As I sign, like a conquering general of their success to permanently blockade the Azov sea.
Russian inspections has risen sharply since the bridge opened and some ships wait days to be allowed through, jeopardizing perishable goods on those ships, and throwing into chaos shipping schedules.
The main span is only 33 to 35 meters (108 ft to 115 ft) above sea level, making many merchant ships too tall to pass through. One bulk carrier cleverly cut the top portion of her mast off to pass through the bridge.
During the Kerch incident Russia parked a large tank in the tallest part of the bridge. Signifying a preconceived plan, it takes time to move and dock a tanker...
On the morning after the incident Russian military were seen camouflaging the damage done to the Ukrainian vessels. The vessels were shot at and the Berdyansk gun boat had a huge hole through the steel plating on the cockpit.
On November the 27th a Crimean court ordered 12 of the 24 men captured to be held for 60 days, the following day the remaining 12 were given to detainment for 60 days.
This is nothing more that piracy, to detain Ukrainian navy sailors who were guilty of no crime, and create a blockade and intimidation through inspection and red tape, is really only acts of economic war.
On the 28th of November the Russian government started blocking passage of all Ukrainian vessels going through the Kerch strait.
The Ukraine shares 50% of the coastline of the sea of Azov with the Crimea and the Russian Federation.
Russian military have been building up in the area, with missiles being moved in, and by the end of the year S-300 and S-400 missile systems will be based in Crimea.
In 2003 the Russian Federation, along with the Republic of Ukraine signed an agreement of co-operation in the use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch strait.
In that agreement both Russia and Ukraine agreed to use the Sea of Azov, as the internal waters of both the Ukraine and Russia. Russia's blockade is no more that Somali type piracy.