LONDON: Russia may continue to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea, including by laying sea mines in the approach to Ukrainian ports, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) warned.
The FCDO asserted, “The UK’s assessment is that Russia’s intention is to obstruct the export of Ukrainian grain by targeting civilian shipping in the ‘humanitarian corridor,’ thereby exerting economic pressure on Ukraine. Rather than openly sinking civilian ships, Russia is likely to falsely attribute any attacks on Black Sea vessels to Ukraine, continuing its strategy to coerce the Ukrainian economy.”
UK Warns Russia May Target Civilian Ships in Black Sea 'Humanitarian Corridor' https://t.co/zOwFRdD6Zz
— gCaptain (@gCaptain) October 4, 2023
These alleged plans by Russia are contextualized as part of a broader pattern of aggression in the Black Sea. Since July, Russia has reportedly systematically targeted Ukrainian port facilities and civilian infrastructure. The FCDO pointed out that Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative resulted in significant damage to 130 port infrastructure facilities in Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Reni. Additionally, almost 300,000 tonnes of grain were destroyed, surpassing the total amount Russia had pledged to donate to African states. This amount of grain could have sustained over 1.3 million people for a year.
The repercussions of Russia’s departure from the initiative are severe, with up to 24 million tonnes of Ukrainian foodstuffs facing obstacles in reaching global markets unless alternative export routes can be established.
