SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) – The Chernomorneftegaz state company said in a statement on Monday an FSB Border Guard Service patrol boat and a Black Sea Fleet missile boat forced a Turkish-flagged vessel to change course after it had blocked the towing of two oil rigs from Ukrainian to Russian waters.
"The Turkish vessel has changed course and safely separated from the convoy to ensure navigation safety and on recommendation of the Black Sea Fleet ship. The distance of separation amounted to more than 2 nautical miles," the FSB press service told RIA Novosti.
The company’s director Igor Shabanov previously told reporters the towing took place under warship protection due to the growing threat of terrorism.
Chernomorneftegaz linked the towing of its B-312 and B-319 rigs, valued at a combined equivalent of over $353 million from the Odesa natural gas field to Russian waters to a "complex international climate."
Media reports cited the company saying the alleged incident took place on November 24, the same day a Turkish fighter shot down a Russian jet over Syrian airspace. Chernomorneftegaz itself did not indicate the date of the convoy’s towing and its alleged obstruction by the Turkish-flagged vessel.
