A Russian-controlled tanker has entered the port of Mariupol in Ukraine for the first time since the invasion, the devastated city’s exiled Ukrainian mayor has claimed.
Vadym Boichenko said that photos posted to the Russian Telegram channel showed the unnamed vessel docked in Mariupol, according to the press service of the city council.
He believes the tanker is providing fuel for Russian troops.
Mariupol was occupied by Russian forces in May 2022 after a brutal siege.
“The occupiers are using the remaining infrastructure of Mariupol for military purposes — to strengthen their positions and fortifications on the contact line,” Boichenko was quoted as saying.
“For this purpose, they are building railway tracks to quickly respond to problematic moments on the contact line in Donetsk Oblast. Mariupol is being used as a logistics base for the Russian military machine,” he added.
Boichenko’s adviser, Pyotr Andryushchenko, said on Telegram: “Don’t pay attention to the size of the tanker. One of these is enough to supply the front for two or three days, taking into account tank columns.”
“This is about full preparation for the launch of the railway to the port. This is either for diesel locomotives for long distances or for their armoured cargo,” he added.
Mariupol was a major port before the war began.
Ukraine then accused Russia of stealing grain stored in warehouses there.
Some overseas vessels were trapped in the port and Russian separatist occupiers moved to confiscate some of them.
In 2023, the self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic was said to have loaded the first bulker with grain for export.
The identity of the ship was not revealed and could not be independently established.
