The United States has information that the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet “is under orders to effectively block the Ukrainian ports of Odessa and Otxakiv,” a U.S. official told CNN, citing what was described. as newly declassified intelligence.
According to this official, this intelligence also revealed indications that Russian forces are deploying mines in the Black Sea and have previously mined the Dnipro River.
Western officials have accused Moscow of “arming” food supplies, as leaders and experts warn of an impending food crisis with millions of tons of Ukrainian grain unable to reach the world market because of the war .
“We can confirm that despite Russia’s public claims that it is not exploiting the northwestern Black Sea, Russia is actually deploying mines in the Black Sea near Otxakiv,” the U.S. official told CNN on Thursday.
The Guardian first reported on the findings of the recently declassified intelligence.
Moscow has stated that it is not preventing agricultural shipments from Ukraine and has said that Kyiv must clear the waters for ships to pass through.
“The Russian Federation is not creating any obstacles for the passage of ships or ships. We are not preventing anything,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in early June.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said in a call with reporters on Thursday, organized by the US State Department’s Africa Regional Media Center: “We should not accept the argument that it is Ukraine that blocked the sea with its mines to prevent shipping or ships to get in and out. “
“Russia was mining the sea. We were mining the sea to defend ourselves. The Russians were exploiting it to, not to allow, destroy our ships,” he said. “The real problem is what happens when the port is cleared. Who will be assured and how can it be ensured that Russia will not abuse the open port and attack Odessa from the sea? This is the question everyone is asking: how to do it. “Make sure Russia doesn’t attack Odessa from the sea.”