Volodymyr Omelyan
Two Ukrainian Azov Sea ports, Berdyansk and Mariupol, are effectively under blockade by Russia as vessels are being barred from leaving and entering, Ukraine's infrastructure minister, Volodymyr Omelyan, said on Thursday.
Overall, 35 vessels have been prevented from carrying out normal operations and only vessels moving towards Russian ports on the Azov Sea are permitted entry, he said on Facebook.
"The goal is simple - by placing a blockade on Ukrainian ports on the Azov Sea, Russia hopes to drive Ukraine out of our own territory - territory that is ours in accordance will all relevant international laws," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday accused Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko of orchestrating a naval "provocation" in the Black Sea at the weekend in order to boost his popularity ratings before an election next year.Russia seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and their crews on Sunday over what it said was their illegal entry into Russian waters, something Ukraine denies.Putin, speaking at a financial forum in Moscow, said the West was ready to forgive Ukrainian politicians their shortcomings because it bought into the anti-Russian narrative Kiev is promoting. He said the Ukrainian vessels had clearly been in the wrong. Russian court jails 9 more Ukrainian sailorsIn phone calls, Erdoğan urges Putin, Poroshenko to reach diplomatic solution
Putin accuses Ukraine leader of plotting naval clash to boost ratings
Omelyan said 18 vessels were awaiting entry into the Azov Sea, including four to Berdyansk and 14 to Mariupol. There is also a line of nine vessels to leave the Azov Sea and eight other vessels are standing by near the port berths.
Grain and steel dominates the Azov ports shipments.
Russia seized three Ukrainian navy ships and their crews on Sunday near the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014, over what it said was their illegal entry into Russian waters - a charge Ukraine strongly refutes.
The seizure of the navy vessels drove tension to its highest since 2015, when Moscow-backed rebels rose against the Kiev government in the eastern Donbass region, sparking a war that has killed tens of thousands.
The imposition of martial law is not affecting Ukrainian grain shipments from ports on the Azov Sea so far and if necessary they can be diverted to the Black Sea, Ukraine's acting agriculture minister told Reuters on Wednesday.More broadly, the prospects for grain exports from the Azov Sea are unclear at this point, Maksym Martyniuk said in messaged comments.Ukraine began martial law in some areas of the country on Wednesday, imposed after Russia captured three Ukrainian vessels and their crews over the weekend in what Kiev fears could be a precursor to a full-scale Russian invasion.Among the biggest grain exporters in the world, Ukraine accuses Russia of trying to impose a de facto blockade on its ports on the Azov Sea, including Mariupol and Berdyansk, which export grain and steel and import coal.'Put Putin in his place', Ukrainian ambassador tells GermanyWhen asked if the start of martial law had had an impact on grain exports, Martyniuk said: "Not yet."He said exports would be diverted to the Black Sea if they could not move freely on the Azov Sea. "The outlook is unclear," he added.Several traders told Reuters that buyers were refusing supplies from the Azov Sea ports. One predicted there would be few or no trades out of Berdyansk and Mariupol in the near future because buyers do not want to take shipments from those locations."In general there is not much panic in the market, as Azov port exports only affect about 4 to 5 percent of total grain exports out of Ukraine," the trader said.NATO backs Ukraine amid crisis with RussiaMariupol port said it was operating normally with three ships loaded, one of them delivering steel products to Spain and two others delivering steel and slabs to the United Kingdom."Vessels are still moving to Mariupol and Berdyansk. There is no cancellation of operations and traders only add a few days for the expected delay," a Ukraine-based trader said.Sunday's clash has raised the possibility of new punitive sanctions being imposed on Russia by the European Union. Russia says such sanctions would solve nothing and blamed Ukraine for the incident.Ukraine's 2018 grain harvest had reached 68.2 million tonnes by Nov. 27, a record high. Exports are expected to reach an all-time high of 47 million tonnes in the 2018/19 July-June season. 
Ukraine says martial law not affecting Azov Sea grain exports but outlook unclear