<span style="color: #222222;">Russia has begun allowing some ships to enter Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov, signalling an easing of tensions in the flashpoint area. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Ukraine's infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said, ships have begun heading through the Kerch Strait again towards key Ukrainian ports. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In a statement, the Minister said,  Berdyansk and Mariupol ports have been partially unblocked. The functioning of the two main Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov is crucial for the country's exports.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Ukraine had accused Moscow of blocking merchant vessels from entering and leaving the ports. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In late November, the situation escalated when Russia seized three Ukrainian navy ships and arrested 24 sailors in the first open military conflict between the countries since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014. after the military confrontation last month, Ukraine put its forces on and imposed martial law in its border regions.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">  </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Minister expressed hope that the ports would be fully unblocked in the coming days, and the arrested sailors would be released. </span><br />