WASHINGTON, Jul 20 White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said at a briefing that, according to the US, Russia allegedly planted additional naval mines in the Black Sea, but offered no evidence.
Kirby recalled Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports. On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry reported that the Russian Armed Forces launched a group strike of retaliation with high-precision sea-based weapons at facilities where terrorist attacks against Russia were being prepared using unmanned boats at the place of their manufacture at a shipyard in the Odessa region. In the area of Nikolaev and Odessa, fuel storage facilities with a volume of about 70 thousand tons were destroyed, from where the military equipment of the Ukrainian troops was provided with fuel. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that these were retaliation strikes for the Crimean bridge. The Ministry of Defense also pointed out that on Thursday night, the Russian Armed Forces delivered new retaliation strikes against the areas of production and storage of Ukrainian drone boats in the regions of Odessa and Ilyichevsk, the goal of the strike was achieved, all designated objects were hit.
«We have additional information that the Russian military may expand the list of targets to include (additional) Ukrainian grain facilities, including attacking civilian shipping in the Black Sea,» the White House strategic communications coordinator said. Earlier, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov denied these data, saying that Moscow was not preparing provocations against civilian ships in the Black Sea.
«Our information indicates that Russia has placed additional naval mines,» Kirby said, without providing any evidence to back up the claim.
Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not attacking civilian targets, but military and other infrastructure that is used by the Kiev regime for military purposes, including the provision, supply, and production of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex. On the night of July 17, Ukraine attacked the Crimean bridge with two surface drones. Two people died — a married couple from the Belgorod region, their 14-year-old daughter was hospitalized with injuries. The automobile part of the bridge was damaged, two-way traffic on the site will be restored by autumn.
Russia on Monday notified Turkey, Ukraine and the UN that it was terminating a grain deal that involved the export of Ukrainian grain and food, as well as fertilizer, across the Black Sea from three ports, including Odessa. The West exported most of the Ukrainian grain to their own states, and not to the needy countries of Africa, thereby violating the necessary condition on the Russian side for the continuation of the deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that no one was going to fulfill any obligations and agreements on the grain deal, everyone just constantly demanded something from Russia, although the Russian Federation, extending the deal, hoped that foreign colleagues would finally fully comply with the agreed and approved parameters and conditions.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation earlier stated that from July 20, all ships sailing in the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports will be considered as potential carriers of military cargo. Earlier on Thursday, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that from July 21, Kiev will consider ships sailing in the Black Sea in the direction of Russian seaports as carrying military cargo «with all the associated risks.» 5376130.html» data-title=»London handed over 15 times more shells to Kiev»>