Russia is actually holding captive 84 ships carrying about 450 sailors.
The Director of the Ukrainian Institute of Maritime Law and Security Bohdan Ustymenko announced this on the air of the information marathon, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia reports.
He clarified that these are ships that are forced to stay in russian ports blocked by russia. The ships were counted by UN.
“These are ships from all over the world that fly the flags of other countries, but they enter the seaports of Ukraine on a systematic basis. What is happening now is not only the genocide of russia against Ukraine, it is also the genocide of Africa and Asia, which are the main consumers of our agricultural products, "he said.
The lawyer noted that russia's criminal actions in Ukraine could cause a global food crisis that would leave 18 million people on the brink of starvation.
According to Ustymenko, 6 million tons of grain and 14 million tons of corn are currently blocked in Ukraine.
Russia is blocking Ukrainian ports, hence it is currently impossible to export 22 million tons of grain. According to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the problem that could provoke a food crisis around the world can be solved by military means, and therefore he called on foreign partners to provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons.
The European Commission has decided to create so-called "solidarity transport lines" to help Ukraine export its own agricultural products.
The British intelligence service said that despite attempts by the Ukrainian government and Western partners to find opportunities to create overland logistics routes to export grain from Ukraine, it would not help supply all Ukrainian grain.