Russia has shut off access to the Sea of Azov from the Black Sea, accusing Ukrainian vessels of traversing its territorial waters without permission, Russian state TV reported on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, a Russian coast guard vessel rammed a Ukrainian navy tugboat, resulting in damage to the ship’s engines and hull, the Ukrainian navy said.
The incident happened when two Ukrainian navy artillery boats and a tugboat were transiting from Odessa on the Black Sea to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov, via the Kerch Strait, a narrow passage between Crimea and the Russian mainland.
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Russia blocks access to Sea of Azov in Ukraine dispute