Foreign vessel seized for cooperation with Russian occupiers remains at Ukrainian port - Navy

A foreign cargo ship that was seized in the waters of the Odesa region for cooperation with Russian occupiers remains at a Ukrainian port.

Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said this on Ukrainian television, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The vessel has been seized. It stays at a Ukrainian port. We seized the vessel in accordance with the established procedure, in line with Ukrainian legislation and current international legislation. We really had no other choice, because you cannot violate the law, cross the Ukrainian border illegally and bear no responsibility for this," Pletenchuk said.

On July 11, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that they had seized a foreign cargo ship and detained its captain in the water area of the Odesa region on suspicion of helping Russian invaders export Ukrainian grain from Russian-occupied Crimea.

According to the intelligence service, the crew of the ship, flying the flag of a Central Africa country and, was carrying out orders from Russia to export Ukrainian grain from Crimea.

Photo: SBU