皇冠体育app

• intended target of a Russian missile attack in the Black Sea was a civilian cargo ship
• attacks thwarted by Ukrainian forces who shot down multiple missiles聽heading towards聽Odesa port
• since Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russian attacks have destroyed enough grain to feed more than one million people for a year

Intelligence shows that聽the Russian military聽targeted聽a聽cargo聽ship in the Black Sea with multiple missiles聽on 24 August.

皇冠体育app missiles, which included 2 Kalibr missiles聽fired from a Black Sea Fleet missile carrier, were successfully shot down by Ukraine鈥檚 forces on 24 August.

Intelligence shows that an intended target was a Liberian-flagged cargo ship berthed in the port.

This attack followed US government warnings that the Russian military may launch attacks against civilian shipping in the Black Sea.

Thanks to Ukraine鈥檚聽air defence,聽the attack on the civilian ship failed. Not one of the Kalibr missiles reached its intended target.

Despite its failure, this is a clear demonstration of Russia鈥檚 continuing attempts聽to choke Ukraine鈥檚 economy, and聽President聽Putin鈥檚 disregard for the lives of civilians and聽the interests of countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Putin is trying to win a war he will not win, and these attacks show just how desperate he is.

In targeting cargo ships and Ukrainian infrastructure, Russia is hurting the rest of the world.

This聽is part of聽a pattern of Russian aggression in the Black Sea.聽 In July, the .聽 皇冠体育app US has observed Russia laying more sea mines around Ukrainian ports, and footage showing the detonation of a sea mine in July.

Since July, Russia has systematically targeted聽Ukrainian port and civilian infrastructure.聽聽皇冠体育app attacks have so far destroyed聽280,000 tonnes of grain 鈥� enough to feed over 1 million people for a year, and more than the total Russia promised to donate to African countries.

Russia has stopped even attempting to justify that these attacks are against legitimate military targets and is cynically targeting civilian infrastructure. President聽Putin鈥檚 intentions are clear for all to see.聽 This is a brutal attempt to choke the Ukrainian economy.

While the UK and our partners continue to do all we can to ensure Ukraine鈥檚 exports聽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聽and innocent trade聽at the expense of the rest of the world as they block food from reaching world markets.

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

• damaged 26 port infrastructure聽facilities in Odesa, Chornomorsk and Reni
• destroyed聽280,000 tonnes of grain 鈥� more than the total amount Russia promised to donate to African聽states, and enough to feed over聽1聽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
• 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 in 2022 鈥� without the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) the World Food Programme (WFP) will have to replace this with more expensive or lower quality wheat