Russians damaged 33 ships in Ukraine, three of them destroyed, — Neizhpapa

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has damaged 33 ships in Ukraine, three of which were destroyed, as a result of attacks on ports.

This was stated by the Commander of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Neizhpapa during a meeting with the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez.

He recalled that Russia continues to create threats to civilian shipping and strike ports and ships. Since the beginning of the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation, 33 ships have been damaged, three of which were destroyed. As a result of these attacks, 13 people have died and another 38 have been injured.

Neizhpapa also emphasized the problem of sea mines, especially drifting ones, which pose an unpredictable threat to shipping. An important part is the demining of water areas, which allows preventing catastrophic consequences for civilian ships.

In addition, the parties discussed the functioning of the maritime corridor, which ensures the export of Ukrainian products despite constant threats from the aggressor country. This allows Ukraine to play an important role in global food security and strengthen its own economy.

Since the resumption of vessel traffic through the alternative “grain corridor”, the Naval Forces have ensured the passage of more than 12 thousand vessels through the ports of “Great Odessa” and the Danube River. During this time, more than 103 million tons of food and other cargo have been shipped.

Oleksiy Neizhpapa thanked the IMO for its principled position in condemning Russia’s illegal actions and called for further active efforts in combating the aggressor’s “shadow fleet”, which is the main tool for circumventing sanctions and supporting the enemy’s military machine.

Arsenio Dominguez stressed that the International Maritime Organization will continue to defend freedom of navigation and the safety of maritime transport in the Black Sea.

As a reminder, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez visited Ukraine for the first time. Earlier, he met with the Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba. Then the parties agreed to strengthen cooperation to support the safety of Ukrainian seaports and the waters of the Black and Azov Seas.