Ukraine conducts military exercises in the Sea of Azov
Ukrainian Coast Guards from the Joint Forces Operation and other Joint Forces units conducted military exercises in the Sea of Azov, reported Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine’s press center.
Using Ukrainian Navy vessels, the units pursued an “intruder” vessel that carried out dangerous maneuvers and tried to approach the coast to land “a subversive group”.
During the training maneuvers, Maritime Security and the Ukrainian Navy, supported by coastal and airborne artillery, blocked the intruder vessel and prevented the landing of a subversive group.
The training operation was led by Joint Forces Commander Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev. He praised the ships' crews for their teamwork.
Commander of the Maritime Security ship Donbas, Captain, 3rd rank Dmytro Hlushak noted that these military exercises allowed the coast guard to improve their professional skills and readiness to respond.
On November 25, Russian border guards attacked and seized two Ukrainian ships and a tugboat in the Kerch Strait. All 24 sailors were captured. Three of them were injured.
Many countries supported the captured sailors and demanded that Russia release them, but the Kremlin alleged that they violated Russia’s territorial waters. On January 24, the PACE Committee agreed on the status of the captured Ukrainian sailors as prisoners of war.