ANKARA, August 24. /TASS/. The Sukru Okan general cargo ship, which was inspected by the Russian military on August 13, has left the Ukrainian port of Izmail and entered the Black Sea.
According to online services monitoring the movement of ships, the Sukru Okran is moving to the Romanian port of Constanta. Its arrival there is expected in 9 hours. The Sukru Okan has been in Izmail since August 20. The ship's profile states that its draught is currently 3.7 meters in contrast to a maximum of 5.4 meters.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that on August 13, the crew of The Vasily Bykov ship of the Russian Navy stopped the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan in the Black Sea on its way to the Ukrainian port of Izmail. The defense ministry said that the inspection team did a professional job in accordance with international regulations. The inspection was carried out in order to find out if there was a "presence of prohibited cargo."
As the representative of the ship-owning company told CNN, The Sukru Okran’s captain signed a paper stating that "no harm or damage" was caused to the vessel and that no cargo was seized.
The vessel belongs to a Turkish owner. The Turkish authorities in connection with the incident "pointed out the need for avoiding such initiatives, which could increase tensions in the Black Sea".