Posted on 01/13/2006 10:10:47 AM PST by jb6
MOSCOW, January 13 (RIA Novosti) - The seizure by Ukrainian officials of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's lighthouse in Yalta, in Ukraine's Crimea, cannot fail to harm Russian-Ukrainian relations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.
The incident is "all the more disappointing in the light of the constructive meetings in Astana between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents," ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said.
The head of the Yalta lighthouse and two of its workers were prevented from working Friday morning on the grounds that the staff's documents enabling them to enter the port had allegedly expired, Russian officials said.
Ukraine has responded to Russia's complaints by saying that it has the right to use the facility, and that talk of a "seizure" constitutes deliberate disinformation on Russia's part.
Kamynin said the lighthouse ensured navigation security for both civil and military ships in the Black Sea.
"This incident can hardly be regarded as anything other than an attempt by certain forces in Ukraine to once again complicate the situation around the Black Sea Fleet, creating incidents that hinder the normal operation of its navigation-hydrographic facility," he said.
Kamynin said the Russian Foreign Ministry had demanded that the Ukrainian authorities make an official explanation and that the fleet staff be immediately allowed to resume their duties.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet leases the base of Sevastopol in the Crimea. Although Russia and Ukraine have an agreement under which Russia will lease the base until 2017, some Ukrainian politicians called for a revision of the contract terms after Russian energy giant Gazprom announced that it wanted to raise prices for supplies of natural gas to Ukraine to international market levels.
Looks to me like Yushchenko and Co are trying to create something else to stir up the people in a fake emergency and back him even as he looses power in Kiev.
Sounds to me more like the Ukranians are happy to see ships crash into rocks in order to extort cash from Russia.
I tried to post something about this from MosNews.com, but it appears that site is allowed on FR. (Anybody know why?)
Thanks, jb6, for finding another source reporting on this event.
Pingage
MosNews is a very leftist site and it got banned.
MosNews.com is *not* allowed, I mean to say...
Good Enough. Thanks for the info.
The issue is not about whether or not the light house is in operation - it is - but who must operate it.
If that were the case then these would be high level talks not barring employees from going to work, and directly interfering WITH it's operation.
I did not read any claim that the light house was not operating, only that the "Russian" employees were not allowed to go to it. Is there any claim that shipping in the area has been affected?
Equivalent to Castro padlocking the harbormaster's office at Guantanamo Bay. Then telling us that he was revising our lease. They are screwing with each other.
Fascinating crisis in slow motion.
I did not read any claim that the light house was not operating, only that the "Russian" employees were not allowed to go to it. Is there any claim that shipping in the area has been affected?
If Russian generals don't like it, then may back to Russia everyday.
Doesn't change the fact that they closed it off so workers couldn't man it.
Does anybody even use lighthouses anymore? I would assume its all gps now.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.