The patrol ship of the Black Sea Fleet “Vasily Bykov” discovered the dry cargo ship “Sukra Okan” under the flag of Palau, the ship was heading to the Ukrainian port of Izmail, warning fire had to be opened to stop it, the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry said .
A Russian ship discovered a foreign cargo ship in the southwestern part of the Black Sea on Sunday, August 13, around 6:40 Moscow time. According to the defense department, the captain of the ship did not respond to the request to stop for inspection for the transport of prohibited goods. Then a warning fire from automatic small arms was opened from a Russian ship, and a Ka-29 helicopter with a group of Russian servicemen carried out an inspection.
“According to the results of radio communications, the ship stalled, the inspection team landed on a dry cargo ship. After the completion of the work of the inspection team on board the Sukra Okan, the ship continued to move to the port of Izmail,” the report says.
On July 19, the Ministry of Defense declared all ships going to Ukrainian ports as potential military targets. The decision was justified by the termination of the “Black Sea Initiative” and the curtailment of the maritime humanitarian corridor. The agency stated that all ships sailing in the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports will be considered as potential carriers of military cargo. The Ministry of Defense also noted that the state under the flag of which the ship is heading to the Ukrainian port will be considered involved in the conflict and supporting Ukraine.
This week, the Ukrainian Navy opened the registration of ships for passage through temporary corridors in the Black Sea. Shipowners and captains have been warned of a possible danger, Dmitry Pletenchuk, spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, said.
Source : VEDOMOSTI