The US is giving $4 million in aid to bolster Ukrainian Sea Guard units in Berdyansk and Mariupol.

The US is giving $4 million in aid to bolster Ukrainian Sea Guard units in Berdyansk and Mariupol. The US Embassy Twitter feed said: “The new equipment will help the Marine Guard deter and respond to aggression in the Sea of Azov around the clock.” The Sea of Azov is a binational body of water. After Russia opened the Kerch Strait Bridge in May 2018, Russian border control forces started stopping and delaying civilian ships going to Ukrainian ports. Last July, Washington approved the sale of up to 16 Mark VI patrol boats to Ukraine. The boats are designed to patrol coastal areas. The Sea Guards are part of Ukraine’s Border Control Service.