(VOVWORLD) - A Russian warship on Sunday fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea as it made its way northwards, the first time Russia has fired on merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month.
 The Palau-flagged vessel Sukru Okan transits the Bosphorus Strait through Istanbul on its way to the Black Sea on August 13, 2023, in this screen grab from a video. (Photo: Reuters)
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In July, Russia halted participation in the Black Sea grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export agricultural produce via the Black Sea.
Moscow said that it deemed all ships heading to Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying weapons.
Russia said in a statement that its patrol ship had fired automatic weapons on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ship’s captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection.
Russia said the vessel was making its way toward the Ukrainian port of Izmail.
“After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail,” the defence ministry said.