Renew: 20/07/2023 21:27
Issued by: 20/07/2023, 15:25

Kyiv – The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said today that from Friday, July 21, ships sailing to Russian-occupied Ukrainian or Russian ports on the Black Sea can be considered military cargo ships. This was reported by Reuters and Unian. In this way, Kiev responded to Moscow’s statement on Wednesday that from today it would consider ships bound for Ukraine’s Black Sea ports as potential military cargo carriers. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine recalled the fate of the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which Ukraine managed to sink last year.

“The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine warns that from 00:00 on July 21 (today 23:00 CET – note ČTK) all ships sailing in the Black Sea to seaports of the Russian Federation and seaports of Ukraine located in the territory of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia may be considered by Ukraine as ships carrying military cargo with all relevant risks,” said the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

At the same time, Kiev described, among other things, navigation in the north-eastern part of the Black Sea as dangerous since early Friday. “The fate of the cruiser Moskva proves that the Ukrainian defense forces have the necessary means to repel Russian aggression at sea,” the Ministry of Defense said, referring to the sinking of the Russian cruiser Moskva last year. At the same time, Kyiv accused Russia of violating international law and undermining food security.

A day earlier, Russia’s Defense Ministry declared parts of the Black Sea “temporarily dangerous” for navigation and said that countries whose flagged vessels sail into Ukraine’s Black Sea ports would be considered by Russia as countries involved in the conflict on Kiev’s side. “In light of the termination of the Black Sea Initiative and reduction of the maritime humanitarian corridor, from 00:00 Moscow time on July 20 (Wednesday 23:00 CEST), all ships bound for Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea will be considered as potential military cargo carriers,” Moscow said.

Warning statements from both sides of the conflict have raised tensions in the Black Sea and raised fears that the war could escalate and seriously disrupt commercial shipping, causing havoc in the world’s grain supply, wrote The New York Times (NYT). According to him, the Russian Black Sea Fleet is capable of sinking unarmed merchant ships. And Ukraine – despite not having a functioning navy – has managed to engage Russian warships with missiles and drones, as in the case of the cruiser Moskva.

On Monday, Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea grain agreement, which since last summer allowed the export of Ukrainian agricultural products despite the fighting in Ukraine. Part of the agreement brokered by Turkey and the United Nations includes, among other things, the protection of cargo ships arriving at or departing from three Ukrainian ports. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that everything must be done so that the Black Sea corridor for grain exports can continue to be used, even without Russia.

Washington, meanwhile, says the Russian military could expand its attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea and lay new mines in waters there. “We believe this was a coordinated effort to justify possible attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea and blame it on Ukraine,” said White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge. Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, said today in response to Washington’s statement, according to Reuters, that Russia would not attack civilian vessels.

Meanwhile, southern Ukraine faced Russian airstrikes for a third day. Moscow has targeted Ukrainian ports in recent days, leading to the loss of 60,000 tonnes of grain and agricultural infrastructure, according to Kyiv and Washington. Ukrainian officials saw this attack as an attack on global food security, as Ukraine is one of the world’s main grain suppliers. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry condemned Russia’s warning on Wednesday, saying it had no legitimate military purpose, but was aimed at intimidating Ukraine and neutral countries.

Russia Ukraine fighting grain shipments of army transport