Kremlin says Ukraine's statements on ships in Black Sea pose threat

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia on Friday called "dangerous" Ukraine's statement that it will consider ships either sailing to Russian ports or toward Ukrainian ports under Russian control in the Black Sea to be “potentially carrying military cargo.”

"The unpredictable actions of Ukraine, and moreover, the involvement of the Kyiv regime in terrorist acts, of course, potentially poses a threat in this area," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry said their decision will become effective as of Thursday midnight (2100GMT).

Earlier this week, Russia pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal, saying the Russian part of the agreement was not implemented.

The agreement, initially signed in July of last year in Istanbul by Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine, was aimed at resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports which had been halted as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war which began in February 2022.