Russia’s primary objectives in the Black Sea region are to maximize its strategic and maritime influence there, isolate Ukraine and Georgia, weaken the cohesion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Black Sea security issues, and limit access to the area through the Turkish Straits for the navies of the United States and other extra-regional NATO members. A December 2015 incident in which Russia hijacked two Ukrainian offshore natural gas drilling rigs provides interesting insight into this wider Russian strategy.
On December 14, the jack-up drilling rigs “Petro Hodovanets” and “Ukraina”—both assets of the Ukrainian firm Chornomornaftogaz, which was wholly …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation
