Russian forces have captured Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea, where 82 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered to them, Russia's defense ministry said on Friday.
Ukrainian officials have said that all 13 border guards deployed on the island south of the port city of Odessa were killed by arms fire from a Russian warship.
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On Thursday, Russia suspended movement of commercial vessels in the Azov sea until further notice, but kept its ports in the Black Sea open for navigation.
Ukraine asked Turkey to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to the Russian ships, the Ukrainian ambassador to Ankara said earlier on Thursday.
Russia, the world’s largest wheat exporter, mainly ships its grain from ports in the Black Sea.
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