Russia Could Cut Ukraine Off the Black Sea, Duma Deputy Warns
Andrey Kolesnik says if Ukrainian escalation continues, Russia may cut Ukraine off the Black Sea and create a grey zone there to stop so-called piracy.
Andrey Kolesnik, a member of the State Duma defense committee, believes that if Ukrainian forces continue to escalate, the Russian army could cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea.
He told Lenta.ru that, in his view, the decision ultimately lies with commanders on the ground, but if escalation goes further, Russia would simply sever Ukraine’s access to the sea, and what he called «piracy» in the region would no longer be an issue.
Kolesnik drew a parallel with the example of Somali pirates. He recalled that they terrorized international shipping for years until they were effectively deprived of access to the sea. With the emergence of Eritrea, he noted, piracy in those waters almost disappeared.
The deputy argued that similar measures could be applied to Ukraine by creating a «grey zone» and blocking Kiev’s access to the sea. In that case, he said, such acts of maritime «piracy» would stop. At the same time, he claimed that, judging by its actions, the Ukrainian side itself is moving toward this scenario.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that, despite warnings from Turkey, Ukraine carried out a terrorist attack in the Black Sea on 1 December against a Russian civilian vessel.