Britain warns Russia may start targeting civilian ships
The United Kingdom has warned that it has information indicating Russia’s military may start to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea, as the European Union pledged to help Ukraine export almost all its farm produce via rail and road, Reuters reports.
Global wheat prices have spiked 15 percent in the week since Russia quit a deal that allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain for a year and began targeting Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube River.
“Our information indicates that the Russian military may expand their targeting of Ukrainian grain facilities further, to include attacks against civilian shipping in the Black Sea,” the UK’s United Nations Ambassador Barbara Woodward said on Tuesday.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shared the information with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone call on Tuesday, Woodward told reporters. Britain also had information that “Russia has laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports”, she said.
“We agree with the US assessment that this is a coordinated effort to justify and lay blame on Ukraine for any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea,” Woodward said.
The White House gave similar warnings last week about possible Russian attacks on civilian ships and sea mines.
