A Russian warships fired warning shots against a cargo ship bound for Ukraine.
The cargo ship, flagged as from Palau, was headed for the Romanian port of Sulina. Russia was accusing it of being bound for the nearby Ukrainian port of Izmail. Fox News reports:
For the first time in nearly a month, a Russian warship has fired warning shots toward a cargo ship in the Black Sea on Sunday after the captain allegedly failed to respond to a request to inspect the ship.
Last month, Russia pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal, which gave Ukraine the ability to ship agricultural produce by way of the Black Sea.
The ship was eventually boarded by Russian troops, who found no evidence of weapon smuggling. In return, Ukraine has been interdicting the Black Sea to Russian forces. DW continues:
Ukraine responded with a similar threat to ships approaching Russian or Russian-held Ukrainian ports. Ukraine also attacked a Russian oil tanker and a warship at its Novorossiysk naval base, next door to a major grain and oil port.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the incident was 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.”
Naval routes out of Ukraine’s remaining coastline are vital to its supply. Because of Russian naval superiority, Ukraine has been relegated to attacking Russian ships without seeking control itself. Developing overland capabilities will be vital for Ukraine’s economy to resupply through different means.
READ NEXT: Ukraine Strikes Back at Russia in New Way
