Ukraine demands harsher penalties on Russia for taking Azov ports
A Russian soldier in the port of occupied Berdyansk (File photo: Getty Images)
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has called for stronger sanctions against Russia over its attempt to legalize the occupation of the ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol, according to an official statement.
The ministry strongly condemned and deemed null and void a Russian government decree dated August 22, 2025, which added the seaports of the temporarily occupied Ukrainian cities of Berdyansk and Mariupol to the list of Russian ports open to foreign vessels.
The Foreign Ministry said the move represents yet another attempt by Moscow to legitimize its occupation and cement unlawful control over Ukrainian territory.
The ministry stressed that the Russian government’s decision constitutes a blatant violation of fundamental norms and principles of international law, including:
- The UN Charter, which enshrines the principle of state sovereignty and prohibits interference in internal affairs.
- The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea which affirms that the regulation of navigation in Ukraine’s territorial waters falls exclusively under its jurisdiction.
- UN General Assembly resolutions reaffirming Ukraine’s sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders and strongly condemning Russia’s ongoing aggression.
Kyiv urged international partners to impose additional tough sanctions on all Russian individuals and entities, as well as foreign companies engaged in commercial activity at the ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol, and on vessels entering ports in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.
The Foreign Ministry also urged the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to immediately remind all member states of the need to strictly comply with Resolution A.1183(33), adopted on December 4, 2023, on The Impact of the Russian Armed Invasion of Ukraine on International Shipping.
The resolution calls on member states to notify vessels flying their flag, as well as shipowners, operators, and insurers, of the obligation to avoid violating the closure regime of seaports located in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry further appealed to the IMO to recommend that member states, within their national jurisdictions and international obligations, take appropriate measures against vessels that breach this regime.
“We are convinced that Russia’s blatant violation of international law regarding closed ports in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories requires an adequate response from the international community - specifically, targeting Russian ports, including those directly supporting Moscow’s war machine, with tough new sanctions,” the ministry said.
Russia’s illegal decision
According to the Center for Transport Strategies (CTS), on Monday, August 25, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree adding the occupied ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk to the list of harbors open to foreign vessels.
CTS reports that the port of Mariupol mainly handles shipments of metal, coal, and grain. With this decree, the government of the aggressor state aims to step up the export of stolen Ukrainian grain and coal from the seized ports.
The outlet notes that Russian occupiers are removing between 40,000 and 60,000 tons of stolen resources from Ukraine every month. In particular, more than 300,000 tons of illegally seized Ukrainian grain were exported through the port of Berdyansk in 2024 alone.
Russian cargo ships regularly call at the temporarily occupied port of Mariupol, loading Ukrainian grain and transporting it to Russia. The Kremlin also plans to expand the Mariupol port by the end of the year to further facilitate the removal of stolen Ukrainian agricultural products.
