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Ukraine conflict: Russia completes Crimea security fence | Ukraine conflict: Russia completes Crimea security fence |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Russia has finished building a high-tech security fence along annexed Crimea's border with mainland Ukraine. | Russia has finished building a high-tech security fence along annexed Crimea's border with mainland Ukraine. |
The fence, more than 60km (37 miles) long, is topped with barbed wire and has hundreds of sensors. | The fence, more than 60km (37 miles) long, is topped with barbed wire and has hundreds of sensors. |
Russian forces annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in March 2014 - a move condemned internationally. Crimea has a Russian-speaking majority. | Russian forces annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in March 2014 - a move condemned internationally. Crimea has a Russian-speaking majority. |
Russia's FSB security agency says the fence is necessary to prevent "infiltration attempts by saboteurs". | Russia's FSB security agency says the fence is necessary to prevent "infiltration attempts by saboteurs". |
An FSB statement, quoted by Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, said the fence would also thwart smugglers trading in illegal weapons, drugs, alcohol and other contraband. | An FSB statement, quoted by Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, said the fence would also thwart smugglers trading in illegal weapons, drugs, alcohol and other contraband. |
The fence spans the neck of land connecting Crimea with Ukraine's Kherson region. | The fence spans the neck of land connecting Crimea with Ukraine's Kherson region. |
Most of its sensors pick up vibrations from any potential intruders, the FSB said, but some are also radio-location devices. Russia has similar equipment along its northern and eastern borders. | Most of its sensors pick up vibrations from any potential intruders, the FSB said, but some are also radio-location devices. Russia has similar equipment along its northern and eastern borders. |
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko lifted martial law in the country's border regions, which was imposed last month after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval vessels in the Sea of Azov. | |
On Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron demanded that Russia release 24 Ukrainian sailors it captured along with the two small gunboats and a tugboat last month in the Kerch Strait, between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. | |
The two leaders also asked for free access for all ships through the strait, in a joint statement. | |
Moscow accuses the 24 navy personnel of illegally crossing the Russian border, but Ukraine says Russia captured the boats illegally and accuses Moscow of military aggression. | |
Ukraine has also erected border fences since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and the pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine. New fences went up in the Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions, north of Kiev - regions bordering on Russia. Ukraine also has a new fence in Kherson region, near Crimea. | Ukraine has also erected border fences since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and the pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine. New fences went up in the Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions, north of Kiev - regions bordering on Russia. Ukraine also has a new fence in Kherson region, near Crimea. |
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