MOSCOW. Nov 27 (Interfax) - Russian coastguard ships have undertaken a number of measures to prevent Ukrainian naval ships from passing through the Kerch Strait on Sunday morning, but the Ukrainian military did not react to their orders, the Russian Federal Security Service said.
"Starting from 7:20 a.m. Moscow time on Sunday, the Don and Izumrud coastguard ships took measures to prevent the passage of Ukrainian naval ships through the Kerch-Yenikale Canal, tried to get in radio contact with the Ukrainian naval ships, and demanded immediately leaving the Russian territorial sea," the Russian Federal Security Service's Public Relations Center said in an official statement on Monday.
"The Ukrainian naval ships have ignored the demands to leave the Russian territorial sea," it said.
"As of 8:35 a.m., the Ukrainian naval ships were put on combat alert: their artillery systems were uncovered, the barrels of those artillery systems were raised at an angle of 45 degrees directing at Russian ships and boats," it said.
As of 10:35 a.m. on Sunday, the group of Ukrainian naval ships with the coordinates of 46 degrees 9 minutes north latitude and 36 degrees 33 minutes east longitude have reported to the headquarters of the Ukrainian naval base Ochakovo that they are blocked by the FSB's Border Service coastguard ships, and "it is difficult for the tug to move, and propose that the Gyurza gunboats outrun them at top speed and escape outside the fairway," it added.
Owing to maneuvers of Russian coastguard ships the group of Ukrainian naval ships was blocked in the area of Berth No. 471, south of the Kerch Strait, from 10:35 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
As of 6:30 p.m., in efforts to break free the group of Ukrainian naval ships "stopped drifting, and started moving at a course of 200 degrees in the direction out of the Russian territorial sea, the speed of the Berdiansk and Nikopol armored gunboats - 200 knots, and that of the Yany Kapu - eight knots, while Russia's Don and Izumrud coastguard ships have started a pursuit of the Ukrainian naval ships, demanding them to stop."
Despite these actions, "the group of Ukrainian naval ships did not fulfill the demands to stop and did not get in radio contact," according to the FSB's Public Relations Center.
As of 8:42 p.m., the Izumrud coastguard ship warned the group of Ukrainian naval ships that it will fire warning shots if they continue to disregard the signals and orders to stop.
"As the coastguard ships have exhausted all of the measures, which were caused by the current circumstances and required to prevent Ukrainian naval boats from violating Russian legislation, and in line with the rules of using weapons and combat hardware while protecting the Russian state border, the Russian exclusive economic zone and continental shelf stipulated by the Russian governmental decrees dated February 24, 2010, the commander of the Izumrud coastguard ship decided to fire warning shots from the ship-based artillery system in the direction of the Ukrainian naval ships," the FSB's Public Relations Center said.