A Russian warship fired warning shots and boarded a cargo ship headed for Ukraine in the Black Sea on Sunday, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.

Russia said the warship fired warning shots when the captain of the Palau-flagged dry cargo ship failed to respond to “the request to stop for inspection of the transport of prohibited goods.” The incident took place in the southwestern Black Sea, the ministry said.

“The Russian warship opened warning fire with small-calibre automatic weapons to forcibly detain the ship,” it said in a statement.

The Ministry said the ship, named Sukra Okan, was heading to the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Maritime traffic websites currently show the Romanian port of Sulina, near Izmail, as the cargo ship’s destination.

Kyiv did not immediately comment on whether or not the ship was headed for a Ukrainian port.

“In order to inspect the bulk cargo ship, a Ka-29 helicopter with a group of Russian servicemen was lifted from the Vasily Bykov patrol ship,” the ministry said. “After radio talks, the ship stopped its course and the boarding team landed on the bulk carrier,” the statement said.

Some context: Russia withdrew in July from a UN-Turkey-brokered deal that allowed Ukraine to transport its grain across the Black Sea, warning that all ships headed for Ukraine would be considered potential weapons carriers.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian navy issued an order declaring “temporary corridors” for merchant ships sailing to and from Ukrainian ports. Although he admitted that the military threat and the danger of mines from Russia persisted along all routes.

5 hours ago
Massive fire breaks out at fertilizer warehouse near Moscow, Russian state media say
By Darya Tarasova
A large fire broke out on Sunday at a fertilizer warehouse in the town of Ramenskoye, near Moscow, according to Russian state media.

The fire has an area of 1,800 square meters, RIA Novosti and TASS reported, citing emergency services.

“At 11:53 Moscow time, a message was received about a fire in a non-residential building at the address,” the Emergency Situations Ministry said, according to TASS.

The preliminary cause of the fire is the violation of fire safety requirements during welding, the Moscow region prosecutor’s office said on Telegram. The office said the plastic pallets caught fire around noon local time.

“The exact cause of the fire will be determined based on the results of the fire and technical expertise,” the prosecutor’s office said.

6 hours ago
The death toll in the Ukrainian region of Kherson in the Russian attacks rises to seven
By Kostan Nechyporenko
Seven people were killed in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine as a result of Russian strikes on Saturday night, according to Ukrainian officials.

Five of the dead, including a child under the age of two, were reported in the village of Shyroka Balka, according to Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

It had previously been reported that a 12-year-old boy was seriously injured but died in hospital, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko posted on Telegram, bringing the total death toll in the Kherson region to seven. , in the south of Ukraine.

“The entire family of Shyroka Balka died. Unfortunately, the 12-year-old boy died in the hospital,” Klymenko said.

In addition to the five killed in Shyroka Balka, two people were killed and one person wounded in the village of Stanislav, which was attacked 12 times, according to Klymenko.

Both towns were previously occupied by Russia but have been under Ukrainian control since November 2022.

6 hours ago
Russia intercepts two more drone strikes in Belgorod and Kursk regions, Russian Defense Ministry says
By Darya Tarasova
Russia intercepted two more strikes by Ukrainian drones on Sunday, one over the Belgorod region and one over the Kursk region, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.

The first drone was foiled around 11 a.m. local time over Belgorod and the second was foiled around 11:30 a.m. over the Kursk region.

No casualties or damage were reported, the ministry said.

7 hours ago
Belarus may be funding Wagner Group instead of Kremlin, UK Defense Ministry says
By Duarte Mendonca

Wagner fighters pose for a photo as they are deployed near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24. (Credit: Stringer/Reuters)

The UK Ministry of Defense said in a statement that there was a “