Dozens Of Foreign Ships Detained In Ukraine, Russia Accuses Of Mines And Shooting Threats Kyiv Armed Forces

Illustration of a port in Odessa. (Wikimedia Commons/Aktron)

JAKARTA - Russia blames the failure of dozens of foreign ships to leave a number of Ukrainian ports, caused by the country's Armed Forces, with the number of ships reaching tens of dozens of countries.

The director of the Russian National Defense Management Center Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev said the mine hazard created by the Kyiv Government, together with the threat of firing by the Ukrainian armed forces, prevented 67 foreign ships from 15 countries from safely leaving the region.

Colonel-General Mizintsev explained, the ships were stuck in a number of ports spread across several areas, such as the Ports of Nikolayev, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odessa, and Yuzhny.

"The danger of mines is high created by Kyiv officials in the internal waters of Ukraine and the territorial sea (minefields were placed in gross violation of the preparatory regulations and without placing them on the map)," he explained, TASS reported March 25.

"As well as the threat of firing by the Ukrainian Armed Forces from ships following the recommended route, not letting them leave the ports of Nikolayev, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odessa, Yuzhny safely and go to the high seas," he explained.

Colonel-General Mizintsev added that the 67 foreign ships from 15 countries continue to be stuck in Ukrainian ports. He said Russia did not create any risk to civil freedom of navigation.