[Editor's Note] This article is an original work of Ward Research Institute , authorized to be reproduced from "Ward Public Opinion Observation" .
Russian Federal Ministry of Defense decided to close most of the airspace over the sea of Azov , and NОТАМ issued a notice. The notice stated that "temporary hazardous area. No area limit." The coordinates of the hazardous area are listed in the notice, covering most of the Azov Sea. This restriction will take effect from midnight on February 21, 2022 and end at 23:59 on February 26. NОТАМ is a fast-propagating information that illustrates changes in flight rules and air navigation information.
Azov Sea is an inland sea off the southern coast of Ukraine and Russia. It is adjacent to Crimea in the west, Ukraine in the north, Russia in the east, and Kerch Strait in the south, and connected to the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait in the south, forming a northward extension of the Black Sea. The Sea of Azov is about 340 kilometers long and 135 kilometers wide, with an area of about 37,600 square kilometers.
Russia and Ukraine have three main disputes about the Sea of Azov:
1. The two countries have not yet reached an agreement on the status of the Sea of Azov. This water area has more important military strategic significance before Ukraine joined NATO . Kiev insists on dividing territorial waters according to the center line, so that NATO ships can freely enter the Sea of Azov, while Moscow firmly opposes it and suggests that it be divided according to the submarine line, so that the Sea of Azov becomes an internal water area under the jurisdiction of the two countries.
2. The issue of belonging to the Kerch Strait channel and canal connecting the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea has not been resolved. Ukraine has unilaterally defined a border that is beneficial to itself, and actually controls the estuary of the Black Sea.
3. The navigation and hydrological geographical guarantee issues of maritime safety have not been resolved. Ukraine insists that Russia returns the Black Sea hydrological survey ship obtained when the Black Sea Fleet was divided, while the lighthouses, monitoring stations and other hydrological navigation stations in the Sea of Azov must be resolved through mutual negotiations.
At the same time, the U.S. Embassy in Russia issued an emergency warning to Americans in Russia, suggesting that plans to consider leaving. "According to media reports, there are threats of attack in shopping malls, subway stations and other crowded places in major cities including Moscow and St. Petersburg , as well as highly tense areas on the border between Russia and Ukraine. Action taken by
:
► Check for updates in local and international media;
► Avoid crowds. Let friends and family know your safety;
► Check for updates in local and international media;
► Avoid crowds. Let friends and family know your safety;
► Pay attention to what is happening around you;
► Be alert in places frequented by tourists/Western people;
► Prepare your personal safety plan;
► Carry appropriate identification certificates, including US passport with valid Russian visa ;
► Develop an evacuation plan independent of US government assistance. "
