On 20 July, John Kirby, a US National Security Council spokesman, accused Russia of engaging in a “false flag” operation designed to blame Ukraine for attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea that may occur in the coming days and weeks. He said that Russia had a day earlier released a video showing the “detection and detonation” of what the video claimed was a Ukrainian sea mine, The New York Times reports.
“We believe that this is rather a coordinated effort to justify any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea, and then blame them on Ukraine,” Mr. Kirby said, adding that “we have no evidence” that the mine was Ukrainian.
After backing out of the UN- and Türkiye-brokered deal that allowed grain exports from Ukraine through the Black Sea, Russia said it considered all ships headed to Ukrainian ports potential carriers of military cargo and that they could be treated as hostile. Also, Russian sea mines on routes into Ukrainian ports threaten the broader shipping industry, according to officials. A Russian air attack on Greater Odesa ports destroyed 60,000 tons of grain and agriculture infrastructure.
Read also:
- Ukraine changes grain corridor route
- Three options for a grain corridor without Russia
- Frontline report: Ukraine responds to Russia’s attack on Odesa port by hitting huge ammunition depot in Crimea
- Russia attacks two Ukrainian port cities amid withdrawal from “grain deal”
- Ukrainian grain terminals damaged in massive Russian attack; air defense destroys 37 of 63 targets
- Russia launches largest-yet attack on Odesa; port, grain instrastructure hit
- Russia suspends Black Sea grain deal – Kremlin spox Peskov
