In the Kerch Strait and Azov Sea, robust action is needed from the international community to protect freedom of navigation, uphold international maritime law, ensure safety and protect the lives of sailors and civilians.
Those keeping an eye on the Kerch Strait and Azov Sea over recent months are not surprised to see another headline-grabbing incident, this time involving cargo vessels aflame, but the loss of civilian life is still a shock.
As two merchant ships burned near the Kerch Strait yesterday, it became clearer than ever that an independent monitoring mission is urgently needed to observe the strait, the Azov Sea and Black Sea waters off the coast of illegally-occupied Crimea.
On Jan. 21, two ships under Tanzanian flags were engulfed in flames following an explosion on one ship that was reportedly refueling, or transporting liquid gas, to the other.
Moving cargo at sea, from one vessel to another, especially liquefied natural gas or crude oil, is considered dangerous by industry experts.
At the time of writing, 14 sailors have reportedly lost their lives and six remain missing, now presumed lost to the sea. Russian emergency responders reportedly rescued 12 sailors from the flames and freezing water.
While it’s impossible and irresponsible to allege at this point that the incident was anything more than a tragic accident, the broader situation around the Kerch Strait has deteriorated so badly in recent months that international observers are needed immediately, to ensure freedom of shipping, rule of law and safety.
By blocking the Kerch Strait, a narrow waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Azov – a sea jointly controlled by Ukraine and Russia according to a 2003 treaty – Russia has created a dangerous and often chaotic bottleneck.
As Russia has slowly annexed the Sea of Azov and blocked access to Ukrainian ships, both military and civilian, the effects on Ukraine’s economy are tangible.
Ukraine’s strangled Azov Sea ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk are practically empty, with no shipping to and from the cities, as can be seen in live satellite images that track shipping.
In 2018, the two ports received 6.6 million tons of goods. Under blockade they face losses of up to $2 billion, according to experts.
About 30-40 percent of the country’s highly valuable steel exports used to be shipped from Berdyansk and Mariupol – these days, they’re exporting nothing.
Beyond the economic warfare that Russia is waging against Ukraine by strangling these vital ports, the Kremlin now has to answer serious questions of whether it uses the Strait legally and can provide safety to the vessels that use it.
Both sides of the Kerch Strait, a narrow and shallow waterway, have been so backed up with clustered ships since Spring 2018 when Russian border control forces started arbitrarily stopping and searching vessels, that it’s a wonder more ships haven’t been involved in accidents.
Additionally, both ships that caught fire were allegedly under U.S. sanctions for taking part in illegal gas and oil transportation from Russia and Iran to Syria, where the Kremlin is waging another war on the side of brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad
Both ships also are alleged to have switched off their Automatic Identification Systems, something that Russia allegedly encourages, in contravention to international law.
Such a measure allows ships to mask their location if they’re engaging in an illicit activity like smuggling liquid natural gas – but it also hinders rescuers in responding quickly if they, for example, catch fire.
How leaders and propagandists could seek to exploit this latest catastrophe in the Kerch Strait remains to be seen. But what is clear, is that Russia is unable to protect freedom of navigation, uphold international maritime law and ensure civilian safety.
The international community must intervene and urgently send an independent, objective monitoring mission to the Kerch Strait and Azov Sea.
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