'Act of piracy...': Ukraine hits back at Moscow for 'forced boarding' of cargo vessel

Ukraine has called Russia's boarding of a cargo ship in the Black Sea on Sunday (August 13), an "act of piracy", escalating the tension as the repercussions of the cancellation of the grain deal continue to be felt.

Mykhailo Podolyak,an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky took to X, formerly known as Twitter and lashed at Moscow for its actions and called on the international community to recognise Russia's actions as a 'crime'.

"Today's deliberate attack and forced inspection by Russia of Sukru Okan international civilian bulk carrier, which was en route to the Ukrainian port of Izmail, is 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," postedPodolyak.

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"Ukraine will draw all the necessary conclusions and choose the best possible response," he added.

Notably, on Sunday, Moscow said one of its warships fired warning shots and boarded a cargo ship, headed to the Ukrainian port of Izmail. The Ministry of Defence said it fired warning shots when thecaptainof thePalau-flagged dry cargo ship, called the SukraOkan, failed to acknowledge“the request to stop for inspection for the carriage of prohibited goods".

“To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons,” said the Russian officials, adding that the military boarded the vessel with the help of a Ka-29 helicopter.

“After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail,” added the ministry.

The incident transpired in the southwestern Black Sea on a day when at least seven people, including a baby, were killed after Russian forces pummeled two villages in the southern region of Kherson, according to Kyiv officials.

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Aftermath of the deal cancellation

Ever since Russia pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal, the fighting between both sides has intensified. Russia initially pounded the port cities of Ukraine such as Odesa and Mykolaiv with missile attacks, killing several innocent civilians in the process. Moreover, Kremlin said it waskeeping a close tab on the Ukrainian vessels, and would consider them aspotential military targets.

Meanwhile, Kyiv returned the favour by targeting Moscow with indiscriminate drone attacks, which spurred talks that Russia was planning to return to the table to talk shop regarding the deal.

However, the latest flare-up in the Black Sea suggests that both parties are far from chalking up a new deal.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

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