Originally Posted by
dead_pan
Where does maritime law stand regarding a non-Ukrainian flagged vessel carrying Ukrainian grain once it enters international waters? Can Russia lawfully apprehend them?
The status of neutral shipping is somewhat related to the declaration of war, but it's been some years since I was immersed in that stuff. As no state of war has been declared, there is doubtless some gray area in there from the law side. (Insurance rates are another matter).
I think that if you want to look at the precedents set in the Persian Gulf, 1980 to 1988, as to status of neutral shipping you might be on the right track.
The Russian attempt to establish a FOB on Snake Island, and the inability of the Russians to get their Air Defense assets set up in a survivable mode, offers an air corridor for patrolling and monitoring of that area. The establishment of a successful Russian Air Defense node there would have precluded that.
Not sure how much help that is for a merchant ship trying to move grain, but the AD node not being there (and the Moskva being gone) offers a bit more chance air cover - useful in trying to spot submarines. The Russian Kilo submarines have been mentioned in relation to the shipping traffic in some articles I've seen.
Covert Shores has a decent analysis of this change in the state of play.