Kremlin vows to keep blocking Ukraine weapons and fuel shipments through Black Sea
The statement comes as Turkish and French efforts to broker a Black Sea ceasefire remain stalled
Published
Map: The Black Sea, marking Odesa, Novorossiysk
The Kremlin says Russia will continue trying to stop weapons and fuel shipments reaching Ukraine through the Black Sea.
The statement extends a campaign that has already produced repeated strikes on ports and vessels near Odesa and Novorossiysk, including attacks on September 18 and September 29. It comes as Turkish and French mediation for a Black Sea ceasefire remains stalled, with Ukraine's agriculture ministry saying it sees no resolution in the near term. That leaves shipping and grain-export risk in the region elevated rather than easing, since the statement points to continued military pressure rather than any pullback tied to the diplomatic channels still open between Moscow and Washington.
President Vladimir Putin has separately repeated his demands for security guarantees and Ukrainian neutrality, and said Russian forces gained 1,301 square kilometres of territory in September. He paired that claim with an offer to resume arms control talks with the United States, while confirming that Russia has seized assets belonging to several European states.