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Ukrainian army blocking 67 foreign ships from 15 countries in Black Sea ports

The Russian embassy in Cairo recalled that the Ukrainian troops placed mines and are shelling sea transport

CAIRO, April 5. /TASS/. Ukraine’s forces are blocking 67 foreign ships from 15 countries in the Black Sea ports, the Russian embassy in Cairo said on Tuesday, commenting on Kiev’s allegations that Russia is hampering free merchant navigation in the Black Sea.

"Sixty-seven foreign ships from 15 countries continue to be blocked in Ukraine-controlled ports," the embassy said. "However, it is not because of the Russian special military operation but because of the actions of Ukrainian troops who placed mines and are shelling sea transport."

The statement came after the Ukrainian embassy in Cairo accused Russia of blocking a vessel with wheat for Egypt. According to Marine Traffic portal, the Emmakris III dry cargo ship flying the flag of Panama left Egypt’s Dumyat on February 5. The ship called at Ukraine’s Chernomorsk on February 22 and has been staying there until now.

Last night, the Russian embassy dismissed these allegations as untrue, saying that the ships in Odessa and Chernomorsk are blocked by the local military administrations, while the Russian Fleet, "on the contrary, guaranteed free passage of merchant ships, but Ukraine’s authorities don’t let anyone out."

Russia has called on the International Maritime Organization and shipowners to exert pressure on the Kiev regime to unblock foreign ships.

The Emmakris III cargo is part of a batch of 300,000 tonnes of wheat bought by Cairo, which was to reach Egypt in a period from February 15 to March 3.

Egypt is the world’s biggest wheat importer, with annual purchases amounting to 11 million tonnes. Key wheat exporters to Egypt are Russia and Ukraine. Russia’s exports in 2021 stood at 8.2 million tonnes (74.56% of the country’s imports). Ukraine accounts for 20% of imports.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in response to a request for help by the heads of the Donbass republics. He stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, but aimed to demilitarize and denazify the country.