The Russian ship Vasily Bykov fired warning shots at a merchant ship under the flag of Palau on Sunday. The vessel was heading in the Black Sea towards Ukraine, the Reuters agency reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.
According to the Russian defense ministry, the merchant ship was headed for the port of Izmail nearby Odessa. The captain of the Sukru Okan vessel did not respond to the call to stop for an inspection.
After firing warning shots by the Russian ship, the ship stopped. He was inspected and then continued his journey. According to the Marine Traffic website, the vessel has changed its destination port and is heading to Romania Radio Liberty reported.
Russian ship Vasily Bykov. Illustrative photo mil.in.ua
“The Russian military had previously announced that after the closure of the grain corridor, merchant ships going to Ukrainian ports would be considered a war target. It is not known what the merchant ship under the flag of Palau was carrying,” Radio Svoboda added.
Main photo source: mil.in.ua