Russia poised to use sea mines to target civilian shipping, UK intelligence warns

Insurers told ships may be targeted in the Black Sea on approach to Ukrainian ports

Vessels have been using a temporary corridor for civilian ships in the Black Sea since Russia's withdrawal from the grain deal. EPA

British intelligence has issued a warning to insurers that Russia is poised to use sea mines to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea.

It comes as Russian attacks have already destroyed enough grain to feed more than one million people for a year. On Thursday, the UK released a declassified report warning that Russia would lay blame on Ukraine for any attacks.

The UK has previously warned that the Russian military had attempted a missile strike against a cargo ship in the Black Sea.

It says Russia is seeking to target civilian shipping travelling through Ukraine’s humanitarian corridor in order to deter the export of Ukrainian grain in a bid to continue it’s attempts to pressure the Ukrainian economy.

"Russia’s pernicious targeting of civilian shipping in the Black Sea demonstrates President Putin’s total disregard for civilian lives and the needs of the world’s most vulnerable," Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said. "The world is watching – and we see right through Russia’s cynical attempts to lay blame on Ukraine for their attacks.

"We and our allies stand united against Mr Putin and his attempts to harm Ukraine and thus harm the rest of the world."

The UK has increased support to help the world's poorest to receive grain following Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July.

The pact had facilitated the safe Black Sea export of grain from Ukraine to the world's poorest countries. "Russia almost certainly wants to avoid openly sinking civilian ships, instead falsely laying blame on Ukraine for any attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea," the UK government said.

Russian tactics

"By releasing our assessment of this intelligence, the UK seeks to expose Russia’s tactics to deter any such incident from occurring.

"We are working with Ukraine and other partners to put in place arrangements to improve the safety of shipping. Our advice to British shipping has not changed - the UK’s maritime security level for Ukrainian ports and waters remains at the highest level due to the threat posed by Russia."

A lorry unloads grain in a granary in the village of Zghurivka, Ukraine. AP

It says it has put in place intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to monitor Russian activity in the Black Sea.

"These capabilities will help us to attribute and call out any further Russian attacks on civilian shipping or infrastructure," it said.

"We are committed to ensuring Ukraine can continue to export its agricultural produce through all appropriate routes including its humanitarian corridor, overland and via the Danube.

"The UK will continue to work with Ukraine and a range of international partners to achieve this. At the G20 in September, the Prime Minister announced a further UK contribution of £3m to the World Food Programme to help deliver Ukrainian grain to the world’s poorest, building upon our earlier contributions to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Grain from Ukraine initiative.

"The best way for Russia to address concerns around global food security would be for it withdraw its forces from Ukraine and end the war."

Russia’s latest plans are part of a wider pattern of Russian aggression in the Black Sea which has been escalating since July, it said.

"While the UK and our partners continue to do all we can to ensure Ukraine’s exports reach those who need it most, this pattern of deliberately targeted attacks in the Black Sea by Russia demonstrates President Putin’s willingness to weaponise food and innocent trade at the expense of the rest of the world as they block food from reaching world markets," it said.

400 million people

Since the withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia has damaged 130 port infrastructure facilities in Odesa, Chornomorsk and Reni. Almost 300,000 tonnes of grain – more than the total amount Russia promised to donate to African states, and enough to feed over 1.3 million people for a year - has been destroyed.

Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine was feeding 400 million people worldwide and accounted for 8 to 10 per cent of global wheat exports and 10 to 12 per cent of corn and barley exports.

Ukraine provided over 50 per cent of the wheat for the World Food Programme (WFP) in 2022, the UK warns that without the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the WFP will have to replace it with more expensive or lower quality wheat.

Russia withdrew from the grain agreement in July citing the UN's non-compliance with provisions aimed at easing it's exports of agricultural products and fertiliser.