Author: Mykhailo Gonchar, President of the Center for Global Studies "Strategy XXI"
The article was written specifically for the Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, where it was first published
On August 4, Ukraine announced a military threat to shipping in the waters of the Russian ports of Anapa, Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Sochi and Taman on the Black Sea. The relevant notification of the "State Hydrography" of the State Service of Sea and River Transport was made in strict accordance with international maritime law, in particular the International Convention for the Protection of Human Life at Sea SOLAS-74. On August 5, a naval drone struck a Russian river-sea product tanker near the Kerch Strait. The SIG tanker was involved in the supply of diesel and jet fuel to Syria for the Russian troops stationed there, and also transported fuel to the occupied Crimea for the needs of the occupation contingent. Earlier, on July 21, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine warned that all vessels bound for the ports of the Russian Federation or occupied Ukrainian ports may be considered as carrying military cargo and are legitimate military targets. So, the Ukrainian side implemented the threat as a mirror reaction to the actions of the Russian Federation to damage the port infrastructure of Ukraine after Moscow's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Agreement under the auspices of the UN.
Full article is available in UA