In Odesa, the Maritime Guard of the State Border Service, together with law enforcement agencies, detained the USKO MFU dry cargo under the flag of Cameroon, which was illegally entering the ports of the temporarily occupied Crimea to carry out commercial activities. According to the court’s decision, the vessel was transferred to the ownership of the state of Ukraine.

The detention took place in July 2024, when units of the Maritime Guard as part of an interdepartmental group discovered violations of navigation in the water areas under temporary occupation. The Dnipro District Court of Kyiv decided to transfer the vessel to the National Asset Management Agency (ARMA).

The ship’s captain is charged under Part 2 of Art. 332-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine in violation of the procedure for entering the occupied territories with the purpose of causing damage to state interests. Due to violation of Ukrainian and international law, the vessel will now be under state management for further use.

Ukraine continues to firmly defend its sovereignty in territorial waters, reminding that all ports of Crimea and the Sea of Azov remain closed for commercial activities. Any operations in these ports violate international norms and the legislation of Ukraine.