Officials: Ukrainian ships cannot leave ports

A total of 70 vessels are currently blocked in Ukrainian seaports, because it is impossible to carry out navigation from them, while 6 of them operate under foreign flags in Mariupol.

This was told by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yuri Vaskov and Igor Barsky, Director of the Mariupol Commercial Sea Port, UNIAN reports.

According to Vaskov, there are almost 70 vessels that are blocked in Ukrainian ports and it is impossible to carry out navigation from these ports.

"The worst situation with the crew was in Mariupol, because in other ports the crews of ships had the opportunity to evacuate and leave by land – many shipowners made such a decision, and most of the sailors from the blocked vessels left by land to other countries," the deputy minister said.

Now the Ministry does not fully control the situation in Mariupol and expects when the blockade will be lifted and the exit of ships will be possible.

"We rely on the position of our military – when they say it is safe, then the readiness of the vessel takes up to a day to get out of the blocked ports. However, it's not possible yet," he explained.

Barsky, on the other hand, said that 6 ships under foreign flags remain in the Mariupol port, which are blocked. Some of them will not be able to leave the port without proper repair by the ship repair plant.

At the same time, he added, the Mariupol Ship Repair Plant is almost destroyed, as is the Mariupol port itself." In addition, Barsky noted, the entrance to the port was mined so that the ships of the occupiers could not enter.