Ukraine has called on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to recognize vessels of Russia's "shadow fleet" as legitimate military targets, emphasizing that they finance the military aggression of the Russian Federation. This was reported by the Financial Times, which reviewed a letter from Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba, writes UNN.
Details
In the document, Kuleba notes that Russia has attacked 59 merchant vessels, including the Turkish dry cargo ship MV Victress and the German vessel Helga, which was carrying 25,000 tons of corn to the port of Chornomorsk. According to him, after the attack and fire, MV Victress lost its seaworthiness, and Helga also sustained damage.
These attacks are further evidence of the Russian Federation's blatant disregard for international humanitarian law, the laws of naval warfare, and the safety of merchant shipping
Ukraine and Russia exchanged accusations at the IMO
As FT notes, in early June, Russia also appealed to the International Maritime Organization, accusing Ukraine of "terrorism" over the March attack on the gas tanker "Arctic Metagaz," which sailed under the Russian flag.
In response, Kuleba stated that Russian oil and gas tankers are "critically important for generating budget revenues of the Russian Federation and sustaining its war efforts."