KIEV, Ukraine -- The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has confirmed media reports on the stoppage of vehicles belonging to the Russian Black Sea Fleet transporting cruise missiles in Sevastopol.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vasyl Kyrylych said in a statement on Friday that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies on July 8 stopped three vehicles and a group of Russian Black Sea Fleet servicemen, who were transporting cruise missiles through densely populated districts of Sevastopol without agreement of competent Ukrainian bodies "in gross violation of the May 28, 1997 agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on the status and conditions of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence in Ukraine.""These steps by the Russian side manifest once again how [the terms and conditions] of the Black Sea Fleet's temporary presence in Ukrainian territory stipulated by international agreements and Ukrainian law are being ignored," Kyrylych said.He pointed out that Russia had committed itself to honoring Ukraine's terms and laws, including regulations on the transportation of dangerous cargo and the need for authorization of any movement related to the operations of the Russian Black Sea Fleet military units outside their bases.Ukraine expressed "strong protest" against such actions and demanded that the Black Sea Fleet refrain from them during its presence in Ukrainian territory.Interfax could not immediately obtain comments on this information from the Russian Defense Ministry.
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