​President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukraine intercepted Russia’s initiative in the Black Sea and forced the Russian fleet and warships to withdraw due to Kyiv’s use of maritime drones, Reuters reported. He thanked several Black Sea states, in particular Romania, for their cooperation.

Zelenskyi in Romania, Oct. 2023 year Photo: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea

“For the first time in the world, a fleet of naval drones – the Ukrainian fleet – began operating in the Black Sea,” Zelenskyy wrote in Telegram, News.ro reports.

  • “We managed to take the Black Sea under Russian control…” he said.

Zelenskyy added that since the first days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has blockaded Ukrainian Black Sea ports and damaged ports and grain export infrastructure, disrupting global food markets.

However, during the war, Ukraine changed the balance of power, Zelensky noted, and thanked the Black Sea neighbors Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova for their support.

  • “We managed to show that when the countries of the Black Sea region cooperate, with the support of partners, it is possible to restore stability in the world food market,” Zelenskyy said at a meeting of representatives of the Black Sea countries.
  • “We have managed to ensure the protection of the western part of the Black Sea, which now allows our maritime export corridors to operate. In addition, the Danube region is gaining new importance — it is also important for global security,” the Ukrainian leader explained. .

After Moscow abandoned the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allowed safe supplies from Ukraine, Kyiv – one of the world’s leading exporters and producers of grain – last month in August established an alternative corridor through the western part of the Black Sea, which passes through territorial waters of Romania.

Ukraine managed to export 4 million metric tons of goods through this new corridor, Zelenskyi said the other day.

Russia has stepped up its drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian seaports and grain infrastructure, but Ukraine has in turn launched naval drone attacks on Russian ships.

Thanks to Romania were announced after the weekend, the Ukrainian president named Romania among the countries he thanked for helping Ukraine with air defense.

  • “We are almost in the middle of November and we have to be ready for the fact that the enemy will increase the number of strikes by drones or missiles on our infrastructure.
  • Russia is preparing for winter. And in Ukraine, all our attention should be focused on defense, on responding to terrorists, on everything that Ukraine can do to help our people survive this winter and increase the capabilities of our soldiers,” Zelenskyy told Ukrainians in his daily address. nation, reports News.ro.

Read also:

PHOTO What anti-aircraft systems does Romania have and what exactly could it help Ukraine with, as Zelensky claims