DISINFO: Ukraine boats in Kerch Strait were a provocation by Kiev
SUMMARY
The provocation by Kiev in the Kerch Strait led to a lengthy naval chase and culminated in Russian coastguards using force to stop the perpetrators. The incident occurred in the area that used to be Russian territorial waters, even before its reunification with Crimea in 2014.
RESPONSE
On November 25 border patrol boats belonging to Russia’s FSB security service seized two small Ukrainian armoured artillery vessels and a tug boat and their crews after opening fire at them, wounding several Ukrainian servicemen. Russia argued that they were in Russian waters. However according to a bilateral treaty between Russia and Ukraine, signed in 2003 and ratified by Russia in 2004, governs the use of the Kerch strait and the Sea of Azov, which in the treaty is considered to be the “internal waters” of both Russia and Ukraine. See recurring disinformation examples about the Azov Sea.