Nato steps up Black Sea patrols to counter Russian threats to ports and ships

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Nato will increase air force patrol flights and drone deployments in and around the Black Sea, warning that Russia’s threats against civilian ships and attacks on Ukraine’s ports have “created new risks for miscalculation and escalation”.

In recent days Russia has withdrawn from a UN-brokered deal to allow Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea, increased its bomb and missile strikes on the country’s ports and warned it would attack civilian merchant ships, in what western officials say is an attempt to cripple Ukraine’s agricultural industry and disrupt global food markets.

“Russia’s actions . . . pose substantial risks to the stability of the Black Sea region, which is of strategic importance to Nato,” said secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg. “Allies are stepping up support to Ukraine and increasing our vigilance. We remain ready to defend every inch of allied territory from any aggression.”

Russian attacks on grain silos and port infrastructure on the Black Sea coast and the Danube river, which forms Ukraine’s border with Nato member Romania, along with its withdrawal from the grain export deal, have pushed up wheat prices, renewing concerns about food inflation.

The Chicago benchmark price of red winter wheat has risen 15 per cent since the start of July, although prices cooled slightly on Wednesday after a pause in Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the UN, said one of Russia’s attacks this week destroyed 60,000 tonnes of grain, enough to feed more than 270,000 people for a year. She also said Moscow’s attacks on Chornomorsk, a port south of Odesa which facilitates nearly 70 per cent of Ukrainian wheat exports to developing countries, will take at least a year to repair.

“The world is paying the price for Russia’s barbaric attacks,” she said. “We must all urge Russia to cease its attacks on global food security — and extend, expand, and fully implement the Black Sea Grain Initiative.”

The US-led military alliance on Wednesday said it was “stepping up surveillance and reconnaissance in the Black Sea region, including with maritime patrol aircraft and drones” in response to Russian actions it said had “created serious impediments to freedom of navigation”.

“If you look at the levels of violence that have been going on in the Black Sea and some of the [Russian] statements . . . then you can see there is certainly a change of intent from the Russians,” said a western official. “Russia is demonstrating a level of risk around the Black Sea that we’ve not seen . . . demonstrated previously.”

The US state department on Monday warned Washington believes Moscow may conduct a “false flag” operation against a civilian ship in the Black Sea intending to blame it on Ukraine.

John Kirby, US National Security Council spokesman, said seaborne grain exports would not happen for “some time” and that Washington was working with Ukraine on alternative routes.

“We’re working with Ukraine and other European partners to see if there’s other ways to get grain to market,” he said, adding that the US and its allies were looking at truck and rail routes as well as other EU ports.

The UK ministry of defence on Wednesday said the Kremlin’s Black Sea naval fleet, based on the annexed peninsula of Crimea, has altered its posture “in preparedness to enforce a blockade” and has moved a modern corvette into the area, providing a “realistic possibility that it will form part of a task group to intercept commercial vessels Russia believes are heading to Ukraine”.

Turkey, which was a signatory to the grain export deal, and fellow Nato members Bulgaria and Romania have Black Sea coastlines. Nato allies held a special council with Ukraine on Wednesday to discuss Russia’s escalation of aggression towards the Black Sea region.

Additional reporting by Leslie Hook