KYIV. Aug 21 (Interfax) - Russia has stopped over 150 foreign ships headed for Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov, according to Oleh Slobodyan, an assistant to the head of the Ukrainian State Border Service.
"I have no precise information, but I think there were no more than 150 foreign vessels headed for Ukrainian ports. The trend persists: Russian border guards continue inspecting vessels en route to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov," Slobodyan said on the television channel 112.Ukraine on Tuesday.
There are no delays for ships headed for Russian ports, Slobodyan said. "They [Russia] take very long to grant ships headed for Ukrainian ports a permission to pass through the Kerch Strait. Those ships are stranded near the Kerch Strait for several days. Crewmembers have been telling us that ships going to Russian ports in the Sea of Azov have practically no delays, while ships going to Ukrainian ports have to wait for a dispatcher's permission to pass through the Kerch Strait for long," Slobodyan said.
As a rule, ships headed for Ukrainian ports are inspected in areas inaccessible for Ukrainian border guards, he said.
According to the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry, the Russian authorities stopped 93 ships for unexplained inspections in the period from April 29 till July 9, 2018.
"Russia is intentionally creating impediments for the ships going to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov," which is why Ukraine should reciprocate and initiate international sanctions, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said.