Navy comments on collision of three ships in Kerch Strait

The collision of three vessels in the Kerch Strait was caused by a violation of water safety requirements.

This was announced on the air of the nationwide telethon 'United News' by the Ukrainian Navy spokesman, Captain 3rd Rank Dmytro Pletenchuk, Ukrinform reported.

"This is due to a violation of water safety requirements, first of all. Of course, these situations could have been avoided, but the Russian occupiers constantly neglect security requirements. They turn off, for example, the system of identification of ships in the area so that it is impossible to see how they violate international maritime law," Pletenchuk said.

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According to him, it is not yet possible to say for sure that the barriers erected by Russia near the Kerch bridge were destroyed by the storm.

"Nevertheless, in general, they were built to narrow the passage as much as possible, and as a result, three ships met in this narrowed passage, with the corresponding consequences for civilian navigation. Russia is constantly violating international requirements for civilian navigation in the Kerch Strait, despite the fact that it is closed by Ukraine. Because these are the territorial waters of Ukraine," Pletenchuk said.

As reported, recently there were reports that three ships, two of which were flying the Russian flag, collided in the Kerch Strait.