Ukraine has already opened the registration of merchant ships for temporary corridors in the Black Sea amid the ongoing Russian sea blockade, Interfax Ukraine reports referring to the remarks by Dmytro Pletenchuk, the spokesman for the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, that he made on the national telethon on 12 August.
Ukrainian officials announced the establishment of the corridors on 8 August.
“Now registration is already open, the coordinator is already working,” Pletenchuk said, adding that the Navy can’t disclose any additional details.
According to the spokesman, the decision to open these sea lanes was approved after Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allowed for the passage of grain ships to Ukrainian ports after Russo-Ukrainian-Turkish inspections.
Now, Ukraine’s Armed Forces are going to ensure the security of the Black Sea passage for the merchant ships as the ship owners and captains have been warned about the mine threat and the danger of opposition from the Russian navy.
Earlier Ukraine proposed these routes in an appeal to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the organization’s Council recognized Ukraine’s right to free commercial navigation, guaranteed by international maritime law. The IMO called on Russia to comply with international conventions and stop threats to merchant shipping in the Black Sea.
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