A Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea on August 13 as it made its way northwards, marking the first instance of Russia using force against merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since withdrawing from a UN-brokered grain deal the previous month, reported Reuters.
This move comes after Russia halted its participation in a Black Sea grain deal in July that enabled Ukraine to export agricultural products via the Black Sea. Moscow argued that it considered all ships headed to Ukrainian waters as potential carriers of weapons.
The incident occurred on Sunday when Russia’s Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired warning shots at the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel, as it failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection according to a statement by Russia. The vessel was on the way to the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Refinitiv shipping data indicated that the ship was near the coast of Bulgaria and was heading towards the Romanian port of Sulina.
Warning fire to halt vessel
Russian officials stated that automatic weapons were used to halt the vessel with warning fire, and Russian military personnel boarded the ship with the assistance of a Ka-29 helicopter. After an inspection, the vessel continued its journey to Izmail. “After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail,” said defence ministry. “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,” a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
“Ukraine will draw all the necessary conclusions and choose the best possible response,” tweeted Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor on X. A Turkish defence ministry official said he had heard an incident had taken place involving a ship heading for Romania, and that Ankara was looking into it.
A spokesperson for the southern military command, Natalia Humeniuk emphasised that the Russian statement had not been confirmed by other official sources and called for transportation and navigation in the Black Sea to adhere to international guarantees. She added, Russia was trying to assert its right to stop a ship or deploy aircraft in the Black Sea and “face no consequences.” This incident raises concerns among shipowners, insurers, and commodity traders about the risks of navigating the Black Sea, which is a vital route for agricultural produce transportation for both Ukraine and Russia.
Tensions post Russia’s exit of Black Sea grain deal
Since Russia exited the Black Sea grain deal, tensions have escalated, with Russia and Ukraine issuing warnings and conducting attacks that have unsettled global commodity, oil, and shipping markets. Both countries have threatened to treat approaching ships as potential military vessels, and their flag states as combatants on the opposing side.
Concerns of a de-facto blockade of Ukrainian ports
This situation has led to concerns of a de-facto blockade of Ukrainian ports by Russia, prompting Ukraine and the West to accuse Russia of endangering the flow of wheat and sunflower seeds from Ukraine to global markets. Russia, on the other hand, contends that the West failed to implement a parallel agreement to ease regulations for its own food and fertiliser exports.
