Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast seize several merchant ships docked in the port of Mariupol. The first ship with a cargo of 2,500 tons of metal on board has since been sent to the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Ukraine had described the shipment of the metal as “looting”.
“Some ships fall under the jurisdiction of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” separatist leader Denis Puschilin said, according to Interfax news agency. The ships would be renamed and become part of a newly formed merchant fleet of the Republic.
500,000 tons of grain shipped to Russia?
Kiev accuses Moscow and its separatist allies of stealing strategically important assets. Up to 500,000 tons of grain were shipped to Russia from the occupied territories in Ukraine. Russia’s war of aggression against major grain exporter Ukraine has caused food prices worldwide to soar amid fears of supply bottlenecks.
Before the war, the port city of Mariupol, with more than 400,000 inhabitants, was the largest Ukrainian port on the Azov Sea and at the same time a center of the steel industry. For months there was fierce fighting between Russians and Ukrainians. 90 percent of it was reported to have been destroyed in the fighting. The port was also badly hit.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
