Ukraine sees any military cargo Russia might deliver to ports on Sea of Azov as legitimate target

If Russian invaders use ports in the Azov Sea to transport military goods, those vessels will become legitimate targets for Ukraine’s defense forces.

That’s according to Natalia Humeniuk, the press officer for Operational Command South, who commented on the reports that a first Russian bulker, which allegedly carried military cargo, checked in the port of occupied Mariupol.

 “Such a threat is possible and we are analyzing what they claim is civil navigation. Our defense ministry has already stated that vessels carrying military cargo would be considered as legitimate targets, and when the enemy is setting up a military hub in one of the ports, it is also a legitimate target," said the spokesperson.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, an advisor to the Mariupol mayor in exile, Petro Andriushchenko reported on Telegram that a first Russian vessel arrived in the port of the temporarily occupied city of Mariupol. The nature of the cargo delivered remains unclear.