Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that Russia is stepping up attacks on Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, delaying agricultural exports, including aid destined for Palestinians caught up in the conflict with Israel.
During several strike days in early October, Russian weapons hit at least four cargo ships, including one reportedly carrying 6,000 tons of corn.
Sir Keir said Russian President Vladimir Putin was prepared to “gamble on global food security in his attempts to bully Ukraine into submission”.
The Prime Minister’s comments came as he traveled to the Pacific island of Samoa for a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government.
During several days of attacks, Russian missile strikes in the Odesa region hit a Panamanian-registered ship and a Palau-flagged cargo ship was also attacked, killing one person on board.
Several people in the southern city of Zaporizhia were injured when 29 houses were destroyed and photos released by regional officials show a giant crater in the mud, with stones and wood strewn about.
A wave of attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports coincided with a European tour by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited leaders in London, Paris, Rome and Berlin.
But Sir Keir pointed out that the increasing number of Russian attacks coincided with the harvest season.
Despite the war, Ukraine is still an important supplier of agricultural goods.
But British intelligence suggests a growth in what officials call Russia’s “risk appetite” in attacking Ukrainian ports – with grain ships becoming what is described as “collateral damage” in the Russian campaign.
Sir Keir said the “indiscriminate attacks” are “harming millions of vulnerable people in Africa, Asia and the Middle East”.
According to Ukrainian figures, more than twenty civilian ships have been damaged by Russian attacks since the start of the war in 2022.
Grain silos and other port infrastructure have also been severely damaged.
However, Ukraine has managed to create a maritime corridor to ensure the security of grain exports after Moscow withdrew from a Black Sea grain deal last year.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture in Kiev, some 962,000 tons of grain were exported in the first ten days of October – double the amount shipped in the same period last year.
Speaking to journalists traveling with him to Samoa, Sir Keir said Russia’s recent recruitment of troops from North Korea was “a shameful and desperate act.
On Tuesday, the British government announced it would give Ukraine an additional £2.26 billion, using profits from Russian assets held in Europe.
The one-off payment is in addition to the £3 billion the government has already committed to fund Ukraine’s war efforts.
So far, Britain has provided more than £12 billion in military aid and has pledged to match that level in the future.
Announcing the funding, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said it showed that the UK’s support for Ukraine was “unwavering and will remain so for as long as it is needed”.
