Plot Worsening of the situation in the Donbass
Turkey could close the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles for the passage of warships. However, even in this situation, the Russian Federation will have the right to use them to bring the fleet back to base, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. AiF.ru was looking for ships that were outside the strait. These could include ships taking part in exercises in the Mediterranean from February 15-21.
What happened?
The Ambassador from Ukraine to Turkey, Vasily Bondar, asked Ankara to close the strait for the passage of Russian warships.
Turkey has received an official request from Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed. The provisions of the Montreux Convention are clear and precise. In a war in which Turkey does not participate, it is permissible to take action against the countries participating in the war, the minister said.
Thus, Turkey can close the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles for the passage of warships, but even in this situation the Russian Federation will have the right to use them to return the fleet to the base.
Montreux Convention
The Montreux Strait Convention of 1936 guaranteed Turkish sovereignty over the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles.
Subject to prior notification to the Turkish authorities, the Black Sea powers may pass through the strait in peacetime their warships of any class. Substantial restrictions on class and tonnage were introduced for warships of non-Black Sea powers.
Depending on whether or not Turkey is a party to the conflict, it has additional powers to regulate passage through the strait. Under certain circumstances, Ankara can ban any country from using the strait if it considers it will violate security in the region or create threats for itself. However, the Turkish side has repeatedly stated that it intends to fully comply with the terms of the convention and opposes its revision.
However, the Montreux Convention also provides that ships of countries participating in the war can return to their bases and must be authorized to do so. The Montreux Convention also provides that the same measures must be taken with regard to Ukrainian warships, said the Turkish Foreign Minister.
Travel abroad
From February 15 to 25, 2022, naval exercises took place in the Eastern Mediterranean under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov. The event involved more than 15 warships, boats and support vessels, as well as more than 30 aircraft.
The list of ships included the Admiral Grigorovich missile cruisers. (part of the Black Sea Fleet), as well as ships of other fleets “Varyag” (flagship of the Pacific Fleet) and “Marshal Ustinov” (Northern Fleet), frigates “Admiral of the Fleet Kasatonov” (Northern Fleet), as well as large anti-submarine ships “Admiral Tributes” (Pacific Fleet) and “Vice Admiral Kulakov” (Northern Fleet) and others.
The fact that “Admiral Grigorovich” returned to the home port (Sevastopol), not reported.
In February, the Ministry of Defense also did not report the location of other Black Sea Fleet ships, but in early 2022, in addition to the frigate “Admiral Grigorovich”, the small missile ship “Vyshny Volochek” was part of the group of naval forces in the Mediterranean Sea;, patrol boat “Dmitry Rogachev”, submarines, minesweeper “Vladimir Zakharyin” . They performed special tasks as part of the permanent Navy (Navy) grouping in the remote sea area. Thus, more than 10 ships and support ships of the Black Sea Fleet (BSF) may not be in the Black Sea at the moment.