Ships Sailing to Ukrainian Seaports to Be Considered Hostile, Moscow Warns

Vessels await inspection under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the U.N. and Turkey, in the southern anchorage of the Bosphorus in Istanbul on Dec. 11, 2022. Yoruk Isik/Reuters

Russia will consider all maritime vessels en route to Black Sea ports in Ukraine as of July 20 as potentially carrying military cargoes, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

The announcement comes two days after Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had allowed Ukraine to export grain—despite ongoing hostilities—through the Black Sea.