Let's stop Moscow

While crossing the Black Sea by the Ukrainian Navy’s military ship group of two small armored artillery boats and one tugboat (the final destination is the Ukrainian seaport of Berdiansk in the Sea of Azov), one of our ships (tugboat) was rammed by a Russian border guard patrol boat.
We’ve got a live video footage of this incident which will be shortly shared with our international partners.
 We regard such an aggressive behavior of the Russians as:
Ø a clear violation of the international law, namely the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS), regarding the freedom of navigation as well as of the fundamental principles of international law, in particular, concerning the refraining from the threat or use of force in international relations.
Ø a conscious provocation aimed at aggravation of the security situation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and blocking the crossing of the Kerch-Yenikale canal by the military ship group of the Ukrainian Navy and its further reaching the point of final destination in the Sea of Azov.
It’s worthwhile mentioning, that our intention to cross the Kerch-Yenikale canal is absolutely legitimate according to the para 1 article 2 of the Treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on Cooperation and Use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, which clearly provides for the freedom of navigation for both civil and military vessels of Ukraine and Russia in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait.
Acting strictly in accordance with the multilateral and bilateral international treaties, we have informed the Russians and the de-facto authorities of the Kerch Seaport through traditional channels of communication (VHF radio) of our legitimate intention to pass through the Kerch-Yenikale canal. 
We’ve tried to establish the radio communication with the Kerch Seaport for more than two hours, but without any success. Later, we were informed that the Kerch-Yenikale canal was closed due to the “grounding” of a ship (presumably, a tanker) on the opposite side of the canal (from the Sea of Azov).
In our opinion, the further aggravation by the Russians of the security situation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov cannot be ruled out. We expect further aggressive behavior and provocations of the FSB Border Guard Service and Russian Navy.
The Kremlin’s main goal is to prevent the crossing of the Kerch-Yenikale canal by the Ukrainian military ships.
 In this regard, we expect from our international partners the strong political statements in support of Ukraine and condemnation of the Russian aggressive policies in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
The increased political pressure on Moscow aimed at de-escalation of the security situation on the sea and unblocking the free crossing of the Kerch-Yenikale canal by the Ukrainian military ships will also be highly appreciated and welcomed.