In September 2018, Ukraine announced the intention to add navy ships and further ground forces along the coast of the Sea of Azov, with the ships based at Berdiansk. The military posturing was exacerbated following the construction of the Crimean Bridge, which is too low to allow passage of Panamax ships into Ukraine's port.Ukraine and Russia Take Their Conflict to the Sea, Stratfor, 2018-09-24 Late that September, two Ukrainian vessels departed from the Black Sea port Odesa, passed under the Crimean Bridge, and arrived in Mariupol.Dmytro Kovalenko, commander of the Ukrainian Navy move to Azov Sea, Ukrinform (4 October 2018) Tensions increased further after the Kerch Strait incident in November 2018, when Russia seized three Ukrainian Navy vessels attempting to enter the Sea of Azov.
In September 2018, Ukraine announced the intention to add navy ships and further ground forces along the coast of the Sea of Azov, with the ships based at Berdiansk. The military posturing was exacerbated following the construction of the Crimean Bridge, which is too low to allow passage of Panamax ships into Ukraine's portUkraine and Russia Take Their Conflict to the Sea, Stratfor, 2018-09-24 Late that September, two Ukrainian vessels departed from the Black Sea port .Odesa, passed under the Crimean Bridge, and arrived in Mariupol.Dmytro Kovalenko, commander of the Ukrainian Navy move to Azov Sea, Ukrinform (4 October 2018) Tensions increased further after the Kerch Strait incident in November 2018, when Russia seized three Ukrainian Navy vessels attempting to enter the Sea of Azov.