This audio is created with AI assistance
Alexei Zaitsev, a spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, denied the reports that the Russian-flagged cargo ship Zhibek Zholy had been detained in Turkey on suspicion of carrying stolen Ukrainian grain. He claimed that the ship was "undergoing standard procedures". Vasyl Bondar, the Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey, said on July 3 that Turkish customs authorities had detained the ship after Ukraine requested it. Reuters reported, citing an anonymous senior Turkish official, that Turkey had halted the cargo ship and is investigating Ukraine's claim that the vessel carried stolen grain.