Amid reports of Ukraine trying to bypass Russia and continue shipping its grain under the protection of other countries, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a navigational warning for ships heading to Ukraine via the Black Sea on Wednesday, July 19. Russia said it will treat them as enemy vessels carrying armament, which implies that they will be a legitimate target for attacks.
“With the termination of the Black Sea Initiative and the abolition of the maritime humanitarian corridor, from 00:00 Moscow time on July 20, 2023, all ships en route to Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea will be considered potential carriers of military cargo,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. It added that such ships would be “treated as taking side with the regime in Kiev in the conflict,” RT reported.
Russia terminated the Black Sea grain deal on Monday, signed with Ukraine last year in July under UN and Turkish mediation. As per the deal, Russia had allowed the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea in return for the US and EU removing restrictions on the export of its own agricultural products. Russia claimed that the UN and Turkey had failed to deliver on their promises regarding Russian exports.
Ukraine has expressed its desire to revive the grain deal without Russia and is looking for options involving other countries guarding the ships leaving its ports across the Black Sea. Vasyl Shkurakov, Ukraine’s acting minister of infrastructure development, said in a letter to the International Maritime Organization on Wednesday that Ukraine is setting up temporary sea routes via Romania to facilitate grain exports.
Meanwhile, the US has alleged that Russia may attack civilian ships in the Black Sea and blame Ukrainians for the same. It also claimed to have information about Russia placing extra mines in the area.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced fresh $1.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine with the latest military equipment such as drones and counter drone mechanisms and equipment for port and harbor security.
The US alone has provided more than $46 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the war in February 2022 till January this year. This fiscal year’s total military aid has already crossed $11 billion with the eighth round of aid announced on Wednesday.
