Russia with warning shots against a ship heading toward Ukraine

Moscow said on August 13th that it has sounded a warning to a cargo ship that was headed for the Ukrainian port of Izzail.

The shooting was fired by a Russian battleship.

Russia's Defence Ministry said patrol ship Vasily Bykov detected the ship with goods, sailing under the flag of Palau “on the road to Ukrainian port of Izali”.

The captain of the cargo ship, Sukru Okan, did not respond to the request to stop “for inspection of the transport of banned goods”.

“To force the ship to stop, there have been warning shots from the Russian warship”, the Defence Ministry said through an announcement.

A helicopter carrying Russian military personnel later went to inspect the ship, it was said in the statement.

After the inspection was carried out, the Succi Okan ship was allowed to continue sailing.

Izmail is now the main port from which Ukraine exports its agricultural products.

After withdrawing from the grain exports deal in July, Moscow has attacked cities-port in the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa, where, under the precautionary agreement, major grain exports have been carried out. / REL/