Occupiers Plan to Open Maritime Border Crossing at Mariupol Port

Previously, the Russians illegally included Mariupol on the list of ports open to foreign vessels.

The Russian occupiers intend to open a maritime border crossing point at the Port of Mariupol.

The Russian Ministry of Transport announced this in a statement.

According to the ministry, dredging work has been carried out in the occupied port over the past year, and the port’s facilities are currently undergoing major repairs. An action plan for the development of the port from 2025 to 2030 is currently being drafted. Efforts will also be made to attract additional cargo flows to the port.

As previously reported, in August, the Russian occupiers added Mariupol and Berdiansk to the list of ports open to foreign ships. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the relevant unlawful directive issued by the Russian government. The ministry emphasized that the directive constitutes a blatant violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law, including those enshrined in the United Nations Charter (which establishes the principle of sovereignty of states and the prohibition of interference in their internal affairs), the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (which stipulates that the regulation of navigation within Ukraine’s territorial waters falls exclusively under Ukrainian jurisdiction), and UN General Assembly resolutions (which reaffirm Ukraine’s sovereignty over all territories within its internationally recognized borders).