Russia accuses the Ukrainian Navy of provocation in the Black Sea.

Moscow accuses the Ukrainian Navy of provocative military actions in the Black Sea and threatening the security of Russian maritime economic activity in this vital waterway.

Photo: AP

Admiral Gennady Medvedev, Deputy Director of the Border Guard Service, part of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), stated that Russian security agencies, in conjunction with the Russian Navy, took timely countermeasures to prevent the incident.

"For example, on March 31, 2016, a Ukrainian Navy vessel acted provocatively, firing on the Tavrida self-elevating drilling rig in the Black Sea," Admiral Medvedev said.

He explained that the drilling rig was the property of the state-owned enterprise Chernomorneftegaz in Crimea.

"The incident was thwarted by a coordinated operation between security forces and the Black Sea Fleet."

"The cruiser Getman Sagaidachny and the submarine Pochaev, which opened fire, were driven out of the area around the oil rig," the Russian admiral said.

To date, the Kiev authorities have not commented on these allegations.

According to TPO