Russian FSB ships escort Ukrainian tugboat through the Sea of Azov Tuesday, March 12, 2019 3:00:16 PM

Three ships from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) escorted the Ukrainian tugboat Korets that entered the Sea of Azov for exercises, reported the website of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

“After approaching our tugboat on the port side at about three nautical miles, the [Russian] ship went at full speed and rapidly increased distance, and then accompanied Korets [tugboat]. At the same time, the second ship [positioned itself] on the starboard side, and the third one went a great distance ahead,” the statement reads.

One of the escort ships was the Russian patrol ship Krasnodarets. The officer of the Ukrainian task force, Captain 2nd Rank Maxim Nosenko noted that it was “typical behavior” for Russian ships to escort Ukrainian vessels. The Korets also went to sea with the Ukrainian boat Gyurza and ships of the Mariupol Maritime border guard detachment.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry noted that the tug's crew practiced anti-sabotage defense tasks and trained in shooting from vessel's weapons, small arms and practiced radio exchange with other Ukrainian ships.

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