Militarization of the Black Sea

The article analyzes relevant norms of the International Law of the Sea and Ukrainian legislation in regard to the weapon exercises of foreign warships within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Ukraine.

Since the beginning of 2020, there have been increasing signs of Russia's preparation for further aggression in the Black Sea. Military capabilities created in occupied Crimea may be used for this purpose.

The total square of the Ukrainian sea areas before the Russian invasion was 137 000 sq. km. Since 2014 Ukraine has lost control over about 100 000 sq. km of its sea areas. Russian-occupied Ukrainian sea territory equals, for example, to the total area of South Korea (100000 sq. km) or other state - Iceland (103 000 sq. km). In such a critical situation Ukraine should take 5 Legal Steps in the sphere of maritime security

The article addresses the types of modern Ukraine’s maritime spaces from the standpoint of international maritime law and national legislation provisions, and analyzes international documents that establish maritime borders between Ukraine and other coastal states.

The Monitoring Group of the Institute of Black Sea Strategic Studies, BlackSeaNews and Maidan of Foreign Affairs reports that various areas of the Black Sea were closed in April, 2020.

The Monitoring Group of the Institute of Black Sea Strategic Studies, BlackSeaNews and Maidan of Foreign Affairs reports that various areas of the Black Sea were closed in March, 2020.

It is worth reminding that the maritime risks in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, related to possible actions of the Russian Federation, based on the experience of 2014-2019, not only in the Ukrainian-Russian but also in the macro-regional context – the Black Sea-Mediterranean. The Russian attack on Georgia in 2008 shook, and the occupation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 shifted the long conservation of the entire geopolitical rift – from Gibraltar to Mariupol.

The Monitoring group of the Institute for Black Sea Strategic Studies, the Maidan of Foreign Affairs and BlackSeaNews are glad to share with you the proposals that we made in Brussels in the European Parliament and European External Action Service on February 19-20, 2020.

From the first days of the occupation of Crimea, the Russian Federation has been systematically pursuing its main goal – total militarization of the peninsula. There is no doubt that it is the value of Ukrainian peninsula from the geopolitical and strategic points of view that have been the main "engine" of attempts to subjugate Crimea to the political goals of the Russian Federation since the collapse of the USSR.

The situation in the Black Sea is changing. Its ongoing transformation into a de facto Russian lake is a direct consequence of the occupation and subsequent militarization of Crimea. The analysis is aimed at anyone who cares about the region.

Andriy KLYMENKO, Maidan of Foreign Affairs (Kyiv), BSNews Chief Editor. Uss Ross (DDG 71), the US Navy missile destroyer arrived at Constanta, Romania on September 5, 2014 in the course of patrolling the Black Sea. The vessel is heading to Odesa area on September 7, 2014 to participate in the Sea Breeze 2014 Ukrainian-US naval training.

Vladimir YEVSEYEV, director of the Center for Public Policy Research, Moscow, specially for BSNews. However, in mid-May, the Mediterranean force saw its status upgraded to being directly subordinate to the General Staff of the Russian Navy. On June 1, the formation, consisting of 16 warships, plus auxiliary vessels and three helicopters, commenced military duty under the command of the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleev.

Eugene KOGAN, The Center for International and European Studies (CIES), Istanbul. The two unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus hang over Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia like the Sword of Damocles. As seen from every view point, Russia’s influence, levers and policy toward conflicts resolution remain the key issues. As long as Moscow maintains a status quo policy and keeps the outside actors at arm’s length from the region, the unresolved conflicts will continue to fester.

Andrei Klimenko, Anatoliy Odaynik, Vladimir Trofimov, BSNews. Two Turkish naval vessels - the military transport ro-ro ferry TCG ISKENDERUN (A1600), manufactured in Turkey, and the former German Donau (A 69), currently the training and staff vessel, TCG SOKULLU MEHMET PASA (A577) – came to Odessa on 2013-05-20...