Ukraine says entry of vessels to its Black Sea ports suspended

• Shipowners yet to jointly comment on minister's remarks, though Danish shipping and logistics company Maersk announced temporarily suspending services via Chornomorsk Fishing Port 'until further notice'

Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Vysotskyi said the entry of vessels to its ports in the Black Sea has been suspended amid a surge in Russian strikes on his country’s port infrastructure.

“As of today, the entry of ships has been suspended. This is the decision of the shipowners, Ukraine, as a state, did not restrict anything,” Vysotskyi was quoted as telling journalists by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Wednesday evening.

Expressing that the Ukrainian government and state will take maximum measures to ensure the stability of logistics, Vysotskyi said the current situation is significantly different from the suspension at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Vysotskyi further said Ukraine has enough space for storing products and that alternative routes have been developed since the start of the war for exports.

He, however, noted that these alternative routes and corresponding infrastructure are currently underutilized.

Vysotskyi’s remarks come amid a surge in Russian strikes in the war-torn country, which have targeted port infrastructure and a number of vessels arriving in Ukraine.

Also on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of “holding global food security hostage” and that “millions of families across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America may face rising prices and hunger if this terror continues.”

In a statement through US social media company X, Sybiha said Ukraine has requested an urgent UN Security Council meeting for Monday, going on to urge “all states, particularly those affected, to immediately demand Russia stop its attacks on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.”

“Our armed forces are striking and will continue to strike at those ships that are involved in transporting ammunition, weapons, and so on for the purposes of the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a press briefing earlier in the day.

Shipowners have not jointly commented on the minister's remarks, though Danish shipping and logistics company Maersk announced earlier Wednesday that it is temporarily suspending services via the Chornomorsk Fishing Port “until further notice.”

Noting that all import cargo originally intended for discharge at the Ukrainian port will be redirected to Romania’s Port of Constanta, the company said it has taken this step "due to the current situation affecting our operating area."