Russian defence ministry declares naval war and hints at destroying all ships arriving in Ukraine

On 1 August 2022, the "grain deal" came into force. Since then, Ukraine has been able to deliver more than 30m tonnes of crops. Last week, Russia announced the termination of the "grain initiative" and today, in fact, declared a naval war.

Here's What We Know

Russian authorities have threatened to withdraw from the "grain deal" many times, so the decision came as no surprise. Today, 19 July, the Russian defence ministry said that "all vessels sailing to Ukrainian ports will be considered as potential carriers of military cargo".

In a statement, the Russian defence ministry said that all flag countries of such vessels would be considered parties to the "Ukrainian conflict" (war in Ukraine - editor's note). Russia has also declared "temporarily dangerous" sea areas in the southeastern and northwestern parts of the Black Sea. The decision comes into force on 20 July at 18:00 (EDT) or 15:00 (PDT).

Source: Russian Defence Ministry