On August 24, Russia strikes a civilian cargo ship in the Black Sea
This is the first time that an official has confirmed that ships have been targeted by Russia
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday that the Russian military launched “multiple missile strikes” on a civilian cargo ship in the Black Sea on August 24, citing “declassified intelligence.”
“Thanks to declassified data, we know that on August 24, the Russian military launched several missiles at a civilian cargo ship in the Black Sea,” Sunak said in a parliamentary update on the G20 summit he attended in New Delhi.
According to Reuters, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech in the British Parliament was the first time an official commented on the ships being targeted. Since August 18, four cargo ships have sailed from Odesa.
The British Foreign Office said that the missiles were aimed at a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the port and were successfully shot down.
We are talking about two Kalibr missiles fired from a Black Sea Fleet missile carrier,” the ministry added.
“Putin is trying to win a war he cannot win and these attacks show how desperate he is,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.
In July, Russia withdrew from a UN-brokered agreement that allowed Ukraine to safely export grain through the Black Sea. The United States and Britain have warned that Russia may expand its attacks on Ukrainian grain facilities and add civilian vessels in the Black Sea to its list of targets.
