A Russian warship has fired “warning shots” at a cargo ship in the Black Sea after it failed to respond to demands to stop, Moscow has said.
Russia reported that one of its patrol boats opened fire with automatic weapons after the vessel ignored a request to halt for an inspection on Sunday. The ship claimed to be eventually heading to the Ukrainian port of Izmail.
The incident comes Moscow warned last month that it could not guarantee the safety of civilian vessels in the Black Sea after it pulled out of a UN-backed international deal to allow the safe export of grain from Ukraine.
International shipping data showed the cargo ship had been in the south-western region of the Black Sea, near the coast of Bulgaria, suggesting it was heading towards the Romanian port Sulina, which is close to the border with Ukraine.
The Sukru Okan vessel, which was flying the flag of Palau - a small island country in the Pacific - did stop following the “warning shots” and there were no reports of any damage or casualties, the Russian authorities said.
The Russian defence ministry said its military then boarded the ship with the help of a Ka-29 helicopter.
It added: “After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail.”
A spokesperson for the Turkish defence ministry said it was aware of an incident involving a ship heading for Romania, and confirmed officials were looking into it.
There has been no immediate comment from Ukraine or the ship’s owners.
The incident ratchets up pressure in the Black Sea with tensions high over the dirching of a deal which allowed Ukraine to export grain.
Disruption to shipping routes could have a knock-on effect on global supply chains and prices.
Ukraine and its allies have accused Russia’s warnings to vessels in the Black Sea as amounting to an effective blockade of Ukrainian ports that threatens to cut off the flow of wheat and sunflower seeds to world markets.
Russia has rejected the claim accused the West of failing to implement an agreement to ease rules on Russian exports of food and fertilisers.
The Black Sea grain initiative was negotiated in July 2022 between Turkey, the UN and Russia as a way of ensuring that Ukraine, could ensure that its grain could leave its southern ports via the Bosphorus.
The graincould not be exported in the quantities required using the alternative methods of road or rail through Poland or by canal and river through Romania. Ukatine is known as the ‘breadbasket of the world’ because the amount of grain it produces and exports.
