You're reading: Putin orders negotiations with Ukraine on Russian Black Sea Fleet movements

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has approved a draft intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Ukraine on the coordination of movement of Russian Black Sea Fleet units outside their bases in Ukraine.

The directive posted in the governmental databank of normative documents entrusts the Russian Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry with the right to negotiate with Ukraine and sign the agreement.

The draft spells out the mechanism of the coordination of movement of Russian Black Sea Fleet units outside their bases in Ukraine. The movement related to combat training must be coordinated by the fleet command with the Ukrainian Defense Ministry via the Ukrainian Navy’s duty officer.

As a rule, the movement will be done in the daytime. The fleet’s duty officer must notify the Ukrainian Navy’s duty officer about the planned movement 72 hours in advance (no less than 24 hours in advance in extraordinary cases).

Vehicles and cargo of the Russian Black Sea Fleet can be examined only in the presence of authorized representatives of the fleet command. It is prohibited to examine courier vehicles in the case the courier can present his I.D. and vehicles accompanied by armed guards.