Russian warship fires warning shots at cargo ship in the Black Sea.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the patrol boat Vasily Bykov fired its automatic weapons at the Sukru Okan after the captain failed to respond to a request to stop for inspection.

"To force the ship to stop, the troops opened fire with automatic weapons," the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

Image of the patrol boat Vasily Bykov. (Photo: TASS)

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Sukru Okan was en route to the Ukrainian port of Izmail. When the cargo ship stopped, Russian troops boarded it with the support of Ka-29 helicopters.

"After the inspection team completed their necessary tasks, the Sukru Okan continued its journey to the port of Izmail," the Russian Ministry of Defense added.

According to maritime data, Sukru Okan is a Palau-flagged vessel with a tonnage of over 2,100 tons, permanently docked at Istanbul port, Türkiye.

Russia withdrew from the agreement allowing the safe transport of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea on July 17, citing the West's failure to keep any promises to Russia under the agreement, including allowing the re-export of grain and fertilizer from the country.

After withdrawing from the agreement, Russia issued a notice to ships heading towards Ukrainian ports, stating that certain areas in international waters were “temporarily unsafe.” The Russian military declared that ships attempting to approach Ukrainian ports could be considered “participating in the Ukrainian conflict.”

In response, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that, from the night of July 21, Ukraine would consider all ships arriving at Russian Black Sea ports as carrying military supplies, and warned that these ships could suffer the same fate as a Russian warship allegedly sunk by Kyiv's forces earlier.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense accused Moscow of turning the Black Sea into a "dangerous area," vowing to retaliate with force against any ships in the region, including civilian vessels.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also mentioned the "fate of the cruiser Moskva" to demonstrate that Ukraine possesses the necessary anti-ship capabilities. The Moskva was once the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet before sinking in April 2022.

Kong Anh (Source: Reuters)

Source: https://vtc.vn/tau-chien-nga-ban-canh-cao-tau-cho-hang-o-bien-den-ar812535.html