Here’s the latest on Russia’s war in Ukraine

Ukraine has requested that Turkish authorities detain a Russian-flagged ship carrying Ukrainian grain, the nation’s ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar instructed CNN Saturday.   

The Zhibek Zholy vessel is at the moment at anchor close to the Turkish port of Karasu as “it was actually detained by Turkish customs authorities and it isn’t allowed to enter the port,” Bondar stated. “Now we’re ready for the choice of the related authorities of Turkey relating to the actions that the regulation enforcement businesses of Ukraine insist on,” he stated.     

The Turkish commerce ministry has not but responded to CNN’s request for affirmation that the ship has been detained. 

Bodnar stated Ukraine initially addressed the Turkish international ministry relating to the ship on Thursday, and on Friday the Ukrainian embassy in Turkey acquired an attraction from Ukrainian authorities “to make sure its detention and inspection.”    

“Possibly, we’ll demand its arrest as properly,” Bodnar stated. “We now have despatched appeals to the Turkish authorities, have organized a number of communications with senior officers.” CNN has reached out to Turkey’s Overseas Ministry about Bodnar’s declare.   

Ukraine has repeatedly stated Russia has stolen tons of of hundreds of tons of grain because the begin of the conflict.   

In line with the ship monitoring web site Marine Site visitors, the cargo ship left the Russian port Novorossiysk on June 22 and spent almost every week at sea between Ukraine and Russia.    

The cargo ship turned its tracker on when it left the Sea of Azov for Karasu, Turkey, on June 29, and arrived on the Turkish port on Friday, in response to Marine Site visitors.    

Though it is doable the grain got here from neighboring areas, Bodnar stated the ship’s loading level was “positively” Berdiansk — “occupied territory,” with out elaborating on why he’s sure of this. Bodnar added that he would not have the identify of the corporate or the district the place grain was taken from.

Yevgeny Balitsky, the top of the Zaporizhzhia regional army administration, now partially underneath Russian management, stated on Telegram Thursday the primary service provider ship had left the Berdiansk port on the Azov sea, and reiterated claims by Russia that the waters surrounding the port have been de-mined by the engineering items of Russia’s Novorossiysk naval base.    

Bodnar stated Ukraine despatched the second attraction to Turkey on Friday “once we had simply realized that the ship was coming” after the preliminary attraction was made on Wednesday “once we acquired info from open sources that such a vessel was loading and apparently meant to enter the port.”      

Friday’s attraction has “a authorized” element and has been despatched “to all authorities of Turkey chargeable for making choices,” he stated.     

In line with Bodnar, Turkey’s Ministry of Commerce responded to the preliminary attraction saying the ship will stay anchored close to the port of Karasu with out being allowed to be unloaded or return, whereas Turkey evaluates Ukraine’s requests.   

“I’ve an impression that the Russian aspect tried to set a precedent and tried to start out transporting all the pieces from the occupied ports — that is Berdiansk, it might be Mariupol,” Bodnar stated.

“Furthermore, that is in all probability one of many makes an attempt to drive a wedge between Turkey and Ukraine. In addition to an try and legalize its occupation of ports that belong to Ukraine.”    

In response to media stories that Ukraine’s Prosecutor Basic’s Workplace has submitted a request to Turkey to detain and arrest the cargo ship, the ship’s proprietor, the Kazakhstan nationwide railway firm Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), stated in a press release Saturday that “KTZ requested affirmation from the Ukrainian authorities relating to such request.    

“Energetic consultations are underway with the ambassadors of each nations [Turkey and Ukraine],” the assertion stated. 

“The vendor, which is an organization registered in Europe, insists that the transaction is authorized. With the intention to make clear the state of affairs and exclude violations of worldwide regulation, KTZ despatched a letter to the lessee of the vessel with a request to supply, as a matter of urgency, an in depth rationalization of the state of affairs and submission of all supporting paperwork (contracts, certificates, and so forth.),” the corporate stated.      

“KTZ assures of its dedication to compliance with worldwide regulation,” it added.      

Ukraine accuses Russia of blocking its ports and making an attempt to “steal” Ukrainian grain. The United Nations has stated Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports has already raised world meals costs and threatens to trigger a catastrophic meals scarcity in components of the world.    

Russia has repeatedly denied it’s blocking the ports and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has referred to as allegations Russia was stealing grain from its neighbor “faux information.”