On Sunday, a Russian warship reportedly fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the Black Sea, marking the first instance of Moscow employing such action against merchant shipping beyond Ukraine. This incident follows Russia’s recent withdrawal from a significant UN-brokered grain deal, which previously enabled Ukraine to export agricultural goods via the Black Sea. The Russian government has now adopted a stance that regards all ships approaching Ukrainian waters as potential carriers of weaponry.
According to a statement by Russian authorities, the Vasily Bykov patrol ship discharged automatic weapons at the Sukru Okan vessel, which is registered under the Palau flag. The decision to open fire came after the ship’s captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection. The Sukru Okan was reportedly en route to the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Shipping data from Refinitiv indicated that the ship’s current location is close to the Bulgarian coastline, with its destination appearing to be the Romanian port of Sulina.
The Russian defense ministry revealed that the warning shots were fired to forcibly halt the vessel’s progress. The military personnel then boarded the ship using a Ka-29 helicopter. Following the completion of the inspection, the Sukru Okan was allowed to resume its journey towards the port of Izmail, as reported by the defense ministry.
In response to the incident, a Turkish defense ministry official acknowledged that an event involving a ship en route to Romania had occurred. Ankara stated that it is actively investigating the matter, according to information provided by Reuters.
