Ukraine detained a cargo ship that entered occupied Crimea: details
Date: 2024-07-11 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: COMMUNITY
A foreign ship was detained on the Danube River, which, in violation of Ukrainian legislation, entered Russian-occupied Crimea for commercial purposes. This was announced by the speaker of the Ukrainian Navy, Dmitry Pletenchuk.
“Subordinate structures of the Ukrainian Navy detained a cargo ship, which, contrary to Ukrainian and international law, entered Ukrainian ports occupied by Russia for commercial purposes. They detained it in compliance with all relevant procedures,” he emphasized.
Pletenchuk added that his statement made on social networks is an official comment.
“It will not be possible to ignore the legal demands of Ukraine in the Black Sea,” the speaker concluded.
According to Lloyd's List, the foreign ship was detained while traveling on the Danube River due to the fact that it was illegally crossing the national borders of Ukraine and transporting cargo to and from Russian-occupied Sevastopol.
“The 4,127 dwt Cameroon-flagged cargo ship Usko Mfu (IMO: 7919781) was sailing from the Moldovan port of Giurgiulesti when a ship approached it and forced it to anchor in the Ukrainian port of Reni... An agent and ship broker say the Usko Mfu was intercepted military boat while it was in Romanian waters,” the statement said.
It is noted that the Danube is a narrow waterway, and the specific section along which Usko Mfu walked borders both Romania and Ukraine.
"Lloyd's List Intelligence analysis shows that Usko Mfu passed between Ukrainian and Romanian waters, heading downstream," the publication writes.
The ship was loaded with barley, the destination was Souda (Greece).
It is noteworthy that between May 22 and June 5, the captain turned off the automatic identification system, which is why the ship’s movement was not tracked on online maps. At the same time, thanks to satellite photos, it was established that at that time Usko Mfu made a call near Kamyshovaya Bay in Sevastopol.
A court document issued by the Ukrainian government and reviewed by Lloyd's List states that the arrest of Usko Mfu was made at the request of the prosecutor's office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
