皇冠体育app

• intelligence released today suggests Russia may use sea mines to聽target civilian聽shipping in the Black Sea聽

• Russian attacks have already destroyed聽enough grain to feed more than one million people for a year

• the UK assesses that Russia would lay blame on Ukraine for any attacks

• the UK has increased support for the world鈥檚 most vulnerable following Russia鈥檚 decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July

Information declassified today shows Russia may continue to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea, including by laying sea mines in the approach to Ukrainian ports. 皇冠体育app UK previously warned that the Russian military had attempted a missile strike聽against a cargo ship in the Black Sea.

皇冠体育app UK assesses Russia is seeking to target civilian shipping travelling through Ukraine鈥檚 鈥榟umanitarian corridor鈥� in order to deter the export of Ukrainian grain.聽This would聽continue Russia鈥檚 attempts to pressure the Ukrainian economy.聽Russia almost certainly wants to avoid openly sinking civilian ships,聽instead falsely laying blame on Ukraine for any attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea.

By releasing聽our聽assessment of this intelligence, the UK seeks to expose Russia鈥檚 tactics to deter any such incident from occurring.

We are working with Ukraine and other partners to put in place arrangements to improve the safety of shipping.聽Our advice to British shipping has not changed 鈥� the UK鈥檚 maritime security level for Ukrainian ports and waters remains at the highest level due to the threat posed by Russia.聽

皇冠体育app UK has put in place intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to monitor Russian activity in the Black Sea.聽皇冠体育appse capabilities will help us to attribute and call out any further Russian attacks on civilian shipping or infrastructure.

We are committed to ensuring Ukraine can continue to export its agricultural produce through all appropriate routes including its 鈥榟umanitarian corridor鈥�, overland and via the Danube. 皇冠体育app UK will continue to work with Ukraine and a range of international partners to achieve this. At the G20 in September, the Prime Minister announced a further UK contribution of 拢3 million to the World Food Programme to help deliver Ukrainian grain to the world鈥檚 poorest, building upon our earlier contributions to President Zelenskyy鈥檚 鈥楪rain from Ukraine鈥� initiative. 皇冠体育app best way for Russia to address concerns around global food security would be for it withdraw its forces from Ukraine and end the war.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Russia鈥檚 pernicious targeting of civilian shipping in the Black Sea demonstrates Putin鈥檚 total disregard for civilian lives and the needs of the world鈥檚 most vulnerable.

皇冠体育app world is watching 鈥� and we see right through Russia鈥檚 cynical attempts to lay blame on Ukraine for their attacks. We and our allies stand united against Putin and his attempts to harm Ukraine and thus harm the rest of the world.

Russia鈥檚 latest plans are part of a wider pattern of Russian aggression in the Black Sea. Since July, Russia has systematically targeted Ukrainian port and civilian infrastructure.

While the UK and our partners continue to do all we can to ensure Ukraine鈥檚 exports reach those who need it most, this pattern of deliberately targeted attacks in the Black Sea by Russia demonstrates President Putin鈥檚 willingness to weaponise food and innocent trade at the expense of the rest of the world as they block food from reaching world markets.

Since the withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia has:

• damaged 130 port infrastructure facilities in Odesa, Chornomorsk and Reni

• destroyed almost 300,000 tonnes of grain 鈥� more than the total amount Russia promised to donate to African states, and enough to feed over 1.3 million people for a year

Because of Russia鈥檚 decision to withdraw up to 24 million tonnes of foodstuffs from Ukraine may now not reach global markets over the coming year unless Ukraine can stand up alternative export routes.

Before Russia鈥檚 invasion, Ukraine was feeding 400 million people worldwide and accounted for 8% to 10% of global wheat exports and 10% to 12% of corn and barley exports.

Ukraine provided over 50% of the wheat for the World Food Programme (WFP) in 2022 without the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the WFP will have to replace this with more expensive or lower quality wheat.