Flow of Russians coming to Ukraine halves

The flow of Russian citizens coming to Ukraine has reduced two times, Speaker of the Ukrainian State Border Service Andrei Demchenko said on Monday.

"The flow of Russians coming to Ukraine has reduced two times in the weekend," the TV channel 112.Ukraina quoted him as saying. Demchenko specified that up to 3,000 people daily entered Ukraine before. More than 50 Russian citizens were not permitted to enter Ukraine during the past day, as they "failed to confirm the goal of their trip," he added.

Demchenko stated that Russia did not permit entry to the country for 150 Ukrainians. He affirmed that they were "banned entry groundlessly, without explaining the reasons."

The problems with entry to Ukraine for Russians started on November 26, when martial law was imposed for 30 days in 10 regions of the country - Vinnitsa, Lugansk, Nikolayev, Odessa, Sumy, Kharkov, Chernigov, Kherson, Zaporozhye and Donetsk Regions - and the domestic waters of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch water area. It followed the November 25 incident in the Kerch Strait, when three Ukrainian naval ships breached the Russian state border in the Kerch Strait. The Ukrainian ships did not respond to the legitimate demands coming from the vessels of the Border Service of the Russian Security Service (FSB) and the Black Sea Fleet that had pursued them in order to stop them immediately and thwart their dangerous maneuvers. 

Because of their blatant refusal to submit to the order, gunfire had to be used to stop the intruding Ukrainian ships. Three Ukrainian servicemen were lightly injured and later received medical treatment. In addition, the ships were detained. A criminal case was launched into the breach of the Russian state border, and the Ukrainian sailors were arrested.

The Ukrainian border guards were activated, and head of the Ukrainian State Border Service Pyotr Tsigikal stated that Russian male citizens aged 16 to 60 are not permitted to the country due to the introduction of the martial law. Conversations are held with Russians on the border, except for those who have a diplomatic status, work as service staff members at transport facilities, those who have documents about the permanent and temporary residence in Ukraine and Russians who make humanitarian trips. President Pyotr Poroshenko ordered to tighten requirements for the registration of Russian citizens in Ukraine, especially in the regions with martial law.