The United States will allocate additional ten million dollars for the further increase of naval capabilities of Ukraine in response to Russia’s attack at three Ukrainian warships near the Kerch Strait, as the press office of the Department of State reported.
'We do so in solidarity with Lithuania and the United Kingdom, also planning to increase their security assistance to Ukraine,’ reads the message.
The Department of State called Russia to immediately return to Ukraine the seized vessels and detained Ukrainian crews, to keep the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov open to ships transiting to and from Ukrainian ports, and to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.
As we reported earlier, on November 25, the Russian Navy attacked the Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait in the Sea of Azov. The vessels were damaged, and the crews captured by the Russian special services. Ukraine and the Western governments consider the attack an act of aggression. The Ukrainian sailors were taken to a remand center in Crimea, and then in Moscow, charged with the 'illegal crossing of the Russian territorial waters'. All sailors deny their guilt, claiming they are prisoners of war.
