UK accuses Russia of planning to target Black Sea civilian shipping

Britain on Thursday claimed that Moscow may use sea mines to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea.

The Foreign Office, citing intelligence released Wednesday, said in a statement that Russia may use sea mines in Black Sea and would blame Ukraine for any attacks.

"The UK assesses Russia is seeking to target civilian shipping travelling through Ukraine's 'humanitarian corridor' in order to deter the export of Ukrainian grain," read the statement.

It further said that the UK is working with Ukraine and other partners to put in place arrangements to improve the safety of shipping.

"We and our allies stand united against Putin and his attempts to harm Ukraine and thus harm the rest of the world," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in the statement.

"Putin is stopping food getting to the world's most vulnerable. The world is watching," he later wrote on X.

Russia is yet to comment on the claims.

The statement also recalled recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian grain infrastructure since its withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal in July.

Russia "damaged 130 port infrastructure facilities in Odesa, Chornomorsk and Reni," and "destroyed almost 300,000 tonnes of grain," which is enough to feed over 1.3 million people for a year, the Foreign Office added.

Amid efforts to continue Ukrainian agricultural exports after the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal, Kyiv and its partners have been looking for land routes to reach world markets from the war-ravaged country.

Russia refused to extend the grain deal, complaining that the West had not met its obligations and that there were still restrictions on its own food and fertilizer exports. Moscow was particularly critical of the restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance.

Last year, the UN and Türkiye brokered the grain deal that allowed Ukraine to ship grain via the Black Sea and succeeded in bringing down global food prices.