Russia's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday it would consider all ships traveling to Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea as potential carriers of military cargoes from midnight on Thursday morning Moscow time (2100 GMT on Wednesday), following the end of the Black Sea grain deal.

In a statement posted on the Telegram messenger app, the ministry said that it was declaring southeastern and northwestern parts of the Black Sea's international waters as unsafe for navigation, and that the flag states of ships traveling to Ukrainian ports would be considered parties to the conflict on the Ukrainian side.