REUTERS
Leader of the Crimean Tatar people, MP Mustafa Dzhemilev does not believe the naval blockade of the whole Crimea, previously announced by coordinator of the so-called Crimea blockade Lenur Islyamov, will be possible to achieve, the Crimean news agency Krym.Realii reported.
"First of all, naval blockade of the whole Crimea is impossible. For this to achieve we need warships, and this can probably be accomplished only by NATO, provided there is an appropriate decision," Dzhemilev said, according to Krym.Realii.
He said he was referring to a possibility of a tight control over the goods which, according to him, were smuggled by barges through neutral waters.
"There were outlined three or four proposals how this could be achieved. I do not think they are feasible, but they [proposals] exist," Dzhemilev said.
The Crimea blockade coordinator previously stated Crimea's naval blockade would start in late 2015 - early 2016. He noted the initiators of the blockade were seeking to make life on the peninsula for the occupying authorities "as uncomfortable as possible."
Commodity blockade of Crimea began on September 22, 2015.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine officially announced February 20, 2014 the day of beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea by Russia. The relevant law was signed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on October 7, 2105. Russia denies occupation of the peninsula and calls it a "restoration of historic justice."