A Russian warship fired warning shots with automatic weapons on Sunday on a Palau-flagged dry cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea as it made its way towards Ukraine, the Russian defense ministry said.
Russia said in a statement that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship had fired automatic weapons on the Sukru Okan vessel after the latter's captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection.
The Sukru Okan was making its way towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail, the defense ministry said. Refinitiv shipping data showed the ship was heading north towards the coast of Bulgaria, Reuters reported.
"To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons," the Russian defense ministry said.
The Russian military boarded the vessel with the help of a Ka-29 helicopter.
"After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail," the defense ministry added.
