Patrol ship Vasily Bykov, 06.02.2022 by the Ministry of Defense of Russia. Source: https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12407495@egNews
On August 13, a patrol ship of the Russian Navy fired warning shots at a Ukraine-bound cargo ship in the Black Sea, according to a statement by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
“At about 6.40 a.m. Moscow time, the Black Sea Fleet patrol ship Vasily Bykov, which was carrying out shipping control monitoring, detected the bulk cargo ship Sukra Okan under the flag of Palau, which was on its way to the Ukrainian port of Izmail, in the southwestern part of the Black Sea,” the statement reads.
According to the ministry, the captain of Sukra Okan did not respond to the request to stop for inspection for prohibited goods. In response, the Russian patrol ship fired warning shots from automatic small arms. This forced the cargo ship to stop.
In order to inspect the cargo ship, a Ka-29 helicopter with a group of Russian marines was hoisted from the patrol ship Vasily Bykov.
After the work of the boarding team on board Sukra Okan was completed, the cargo ship continued its journey to the port of Izmail.
The Russian MoD noted in its statement that Black Sea Fleet ships will continue to conduct patrols in designated areas in the sea.
Last month, Russia warned that it would deem all ships heading to Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying weapons following the end of the United Nations-brokered grain deal which allowed Ukraine to export its agricultural produce via the Black Sea.
The quick and professional reaction of the Black Sea Fleet shows that Russia is very serious about its warning to ships heading to Ukraine.
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