Lavrov Says Detention of Russian Ship in Turkey Needs Investigation

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that the situation with the detained Russian cargo ship in Turkey needs to be investigated further.

"We have to look into this situation. The ship appears to actually be Russian. It is under the Russian flag. I think it belongs to Kazakhstan. And the cargo was under contract between Estonia and Turkey. We have to look into it specifically..." Lavrov said at a joint press-conference after a meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Carlos Rafael Faria Tortosa.

A Russian-flagged cargo ship transporting 7,000 tonnes of grain left the Black Sea port of Berdyansk on Thursday. Ukraine asked Turkey to detain the vessel under the pretense that the grain on board is Ukrainian.

"It is unacceptable to try to create this crisis artificially. There are no problems with the export of our grain, our fertilizers, except for the problems created by the Western sanctions," Lavrov added. 

World leaders and international organizations have been raising concerns over an imminent and large-scale food crisis since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February, citing disruptions to supply chains, soaring prices, and derailed crops production in one of the largest grain-producing regions in the world.

Western countries have accused Russia of blocking grain shipments in Ukraine's Black Sea ports. Moscow insists that the ports were mined by Ukraine, making shipments impossible. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia does not prevent the export of grain from Ukraine, and if Kiev demines the ports, ships with grain will be able to leave without difficulty.