Russian warship fires warning shots at cargo ship

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【Summary】A Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the Black Sea headed to Ukraine. This is the first incident of its kind since Russia exited a UN-brokered grain deal. The cargo ship failed to respond to inspection requests, prompting the warning shots. The ship was eventually allowed to continue to the port of Izmail. Tensions in the Black Sea have been escalating, with Russia deeming all ships heading to Ukrainian waters as potentially carrying weapons.

FutureCar Staff Aug 14, 2023 12:24 AM PT

Russian warship fires warning shots at cargo ship

According to the Russian defense ministry, a Russian warship fired warning shots and boarded a Palau-flagged cargo ship in the Black Sea. This incident marks the first time Russia has taken such action since withdrawing from a UN-brokered grain deal. The warship, Vasily Bykov, fired the warning shots when the cargo ship, Sukru Okan, failed to respond to a request to stop for inspection. Russian soldiers then boarded the vessel with the assistance of a Ka-29 helicopter. After completing their inspection, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail.

The Russian defense ministry stated that the cargo ship was heading towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail. However, shipping data from Refinitiv showed that the vessel's destination was the Romanian port of Sulina, which is near Izmail.

This incident comes after Russia declared that it considered all ships heading to Ukrainian waters as potentially carrying weapons. In response, Ukraine issued a similar threat to ships approaching Russian or Russian-held Ukrainian ports. Ukraine also launched attacks on a Russian oil tanker and a warship at its Novorossiysk naval base, which is located next to a major grain and oil port.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, condemned the incident as a "clear violation of international law of the sea, an act of piracy, and a crime against civilian vessels of a third country in the waters of other states." Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for Ukraine's southern military command, emphasized that other official sources had not confirmed the Russian statement and called for all transportation and navigation in the Black Sea to be conducted under international guarantees.

Overall, this incident highlights the ongoing tensions in the Black Sea between Russia and Ukraine. Russia's actions in firing warning shots and boarding a cargo ship outside of Ukrainian waters have raised concerns about its intentions and disregard for international law. Ukraine, in turn, has responded with its own threats and attacks. The situation underscores the need for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation and ensure the safety of civilian vessels in the region.