What Ukraine and Washington said on 10 February 2022
A look back at a day of warnings over the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and travel to Ukraine.
What did Kyiv and Washington say about the security situation on 10 February 2022? Both pointed to growing pressure linked to Russia, one at sea and the other in travel advice.
Ukraine said that Russian Navy drills in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov had made navigation "virtually impossible". Kyiv described the drills as part of a "hybrid war" against the country. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the Sea of Azov was completely blocked, which in effect amounted to a blockade of Ukrainian ports.
On the same day, U.S. President Joe Biden called on any Americans still in Ukraine to leave immediately, citing increased threats of Russian military action. The U.S. State Department issued a level 4 travel warning, the highest level.
Earlier, on 8 February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky had said that vaccinated Ukrainians over 60 would receive a free, good-quality modern smartphone.
