The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, via its Foreign Ministry, informed two shipping companies that their vessels were the subject of "forcible appropriation of movable property with forced conversion into state property", without any compensation to the owners, according to two separate letters.
"Such forced appropriation is in breach of fundamental human rights in so far as property rights are concerned," the company said in a statement.The company said the Smarta arrived in Mariupol on February 21 to load a steel cargo and was hit by shelling on March 20 that seriously damaged its bridge. A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry official said it was aware of an announcement by "the Russian occupation authority in Donetsk to create a 'national fleet' comprised of ships they had stolen in Mariupol".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his country's armed forces continued to resist Russian attacks despite withdrawing from Lysychansk.two medium-sized cities.