Ukrainian Navy designates temporary corridors for merchant vessels in Black Sea

Kiev, Aug 11 The Ukrainian Naval Forces have said that it has designated temporary corridors for merchant vessels sailing from and to Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

The sea lanes have been proposed by Ukraine to the International Maritime Organisation, the Ukrainian Navy said on Thursday in a statement on Facebook.

The routes will be primarily used to allow civilian ships stuck in the ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdenny due to the Russia-Ukraine war to leave Ukrainian waters, the statement added.

The Ukrainian Navy emphasised that military threats and mine danger in the Black Sea persist, blaming Russia for creating hazards to merchant shipping, Xinhua news agency reported.

After the Black Sea Grain Initiative collapsed last month, Russia and Ukraine said they would consider ships sailing to each other's ports through the Black Sea as potential carriers of military cargo.

--IANS

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