SEVASTOPOL. Jan 13 (Interfax-AVN) - The Ukrainian authorities took over a Black Sea fleet beacon in Yalta on Friday, a source at the fleet's hydrographic service told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"At about 10 a.m. local time Yalta seaport services did not let chief of the Yalta beacon Viktor Polishchuk enter the territory of the beacon to perform his duties," the source said.
"The personnel of the Ukrainian Gosgidrografia government-owned company led by head of its Sevastopol branch Vladimir Kolpakov arrived at the beacon in three cars to take it over and place it under Ukraine's jurisdiction," the source said.
"They broke the locks in the beacon premises and took away the pass from the beacon chief. They are not letting Black Sea Fleet representatives into the facility," the source said.
Ukrainian law enforcement bodies have been notified of the incident.
"The illegal actions of the Ukrainian authorities are crude and defiant, clearly confirming their determination to ignore the Black Sea Fleet agreements and to undermine stability in the region," the source said.