SEVASTOPOL - Ukrainian traffic police officers stopped two vehicles owned by the Russian Black Sea Fleet that were carrying Malakhit sea-based cruise missiles in Sevastopol on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Black Sea Fleet's headquarters told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
“The Russian convoy of vehicles was stopped by Ukrainian traffic police officers allegedly because it was not being accompanied by a specialized fire-engine,” the spokesman said.
The Black Sea Fleet’s vehicles were allowed to return to the fleet’s base after all formalities were finalized, he said.
It was the second detention of the Black Sea Fleet’s vehicles carrying ammunition by officers of Ukrainian law enforcement services. Three vehicles with cruise missiles belonging to the Russian fleet were stopped in Sevastopol on July 8. Ukrainian officials claim that the transportation of missiles violated Ukrainian-Russian agreements regulating the status of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the terms of its deployment in Ukrainian territory dated May 28, 1997, as well as Ukrainian laws.
The Russian authorities have denied these accusations.
