According to a statement posted on Telegram on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said it has created conditions for two maritime humanitarian corridors to allow safe movement of ships in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The statement comes amid international condemnation over the months-long blockade on major ports by Russia.
“The Russian Federation is taking full measures to ensure the safety of civilian navigation in the waters of the Black and Azov seas,” the Russian ministry claimed in the statement. “There is a risk of damage to navigation and port infrastructure from the drift of Ukrainian mines that were torn from anchorage off the coast of the Black Sea states.”
Some references: Global leaders have condemned a month-long blockade by the Russian military on major ports in Ukraine – including Mariupol on the Azov Sea and Odessa on the Black Sea – that have trapped more than 20 million tonnes of grain inside the country. Ukraine’s navy said on Monday that about 30 Russian ships and submarines blockade continued of civil shipping in the Black Sea.
According to the Russian statement, the Maritime Humanitarian Corridor in the Sea of Azov will work round the clock to allow ships to exit the Mariupol port,
Meanwhile, in the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that a maritime humanitarian corridor would operate during working hours “to release the ports of Kherson, Mykolaiv, Chornomorsk, Ochakiv, Odessa and Yuzhne from the territorial sea in a south-westerly direction.” “. Ukraine.”
The Russian ministry also accused the Ukrainian authorities of not taking steps to resolve the issue of the blocked ships.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Ukraine should de-mine coastal waters to allow grain ships to pass and ensure that Russia will facilitate their passage and de-mine to attack Ukraine. Mind will not use sea corridors.
Ukraine has also accused the Russians keeping mines in the Black Sea.
CNN’s Anna Chernova contributed reporting to this post.