Blockade of Ukrainian ports
Kyiv makes serious accusations against the Russian Navy
03/17/2022, 09:37 am
In the north-western part of the Black Sea there are serious shipping problems as a result of the war. The Russian Navy is said to be responsible for a blockade, reports Ukraine. The Russians, on the other hand, claim that Ukrainian mines in the ports are to blame.
According to Ukraine, ships of the Russian Navy continue to block shipping in the north-western part of the Black Sea. This was announced by the General Staff in a report on the military situation. Last Saturday, Ukraine’s Maritime and River Transport Authority said 94 foreign-crewed ships and hundreds of seafarers had been blocked in the waters of Ukrainian ports since the start of the war.
Meanwhile, incriminating allegations against the Russian Navy are also coming from Panama. Three ships flying the country’s flag have come under Russian fire in recent weeks. One of the ships (a merchant ship) sank and two others were damaged, Noriel Araúz from the Panamanian Maritime Authority told journalists. No one was injured, he added. The “Russian Navy” is even preventing 200 to 300 ships from different nations from “leaving the Black Sea,” Araúz criticized. About a dozen ships sailing under the Panamanian flag with a total of around 150 crew members are therefore blocked. Most of the ships were carrying grain, Araúz said.
“Mine danger” from Ukrainian units
On the other hand, the Russian military said that the crews of 70 foreign ships were blocked in the ports of Ukraine because of the “high risk of mines”. The Russian agency Interfax quoted Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev from the Russian Ministry of Defense as saying that the mine danger was created by the Ukrainian authorities in inland waters and coastal seas. All information cannot be independently verified.
The Ukrainian general staff report goes on to say that the Russian units on land are primarily concentrating on securing their territorial gains. There are efforts by Russian troops to advance south of the city of Izyum, probably to continue an offensive towards Sloviansk. However, they are not successful in doing so. The humanitarian situation in Izyum in the northeast of the country, which is besieged by the Russian army, is considered catastrophic. According to Ukrainian information, the Svyatohirsk Ascension Monastery was recently damaged in fighting in the area.
Resistance remains steadfast and well coordinated
In the south, after a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-controlled airfield near the city of Kherson, Russian units tried to move the remaining equipment, sources said. According to Ukrainian military information and media reports, the airfield has recently been attacked several times by Ukrainian artillery, destroying dozens of helicopters. According to the supreme commander of the Ukrainian army, Valery Saluschnyj, two more Russian Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-30 fighter planes were destroyed on Thursday night over the Kyiv region. In total, more than ten Russian “air targets” were eliminated within 24 hours.
Britain, meanwhile, believes the Russian invasion has largely stalled on all fronts. In the past few days, the Russian military has made only minimal progress on land, sea and air, according to current military intelligence reports. Russian forces suffered heavy casualties. “The Ukrainian resistance remains steadfast and well-coordinated.” Most of the country, including all major cities, is still in Ukrainian hands.