Russia does not support the idea of halting strikes in the Black Sea.
Moscow stated that it is not ready for “half measures,” which, according to the Russian side, would only give Ukraine a break.
This was stated by the spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, commenting on Turkey’s proposal to impose a moratorium on military actions in the Black Sea.
Ukraine has not officially commented on this proposal yet.
Was there really a proposal
On August 9, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that Ankara had proposed to Russia and Ukraine a moratorium on strikes on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
According to him, both sides received the proposal, and Turkey is awaiting responses.
However, Zakharova stated that Moscow had not received an official appeal from Turkey with specific conditions for such an initiative.
“An official appeal from Turkey, which would specify the conditions of this initiative, has not been received by the Russian side through official channels,” she said.
This was said following a Reuters report on August 13 that Ukraine had proposed to Russia, through a third party, a mutual halt to attacks on civilian objects in the Black Sea. According to a Reuters source familiar with the situation, Kyiv was still waiting for a response from Moscow at that time.
However, the Ukrainian leadership has not publicly announced such an initiative.
Russia does not want to return to the grain deal
Moscow also stated that it does not consider it appropriate to return to the Black Sea grain initiative, which operated in 2022–2023 under the mediation of Turkey and the UN.
The Russian side claims that it agreed to the moratorium in exchange for access to global markets for its agricultural products.
However, according to Zakharova, the West allegedly demonstrated a “dishonest approach.” Russia provided a humanitarian corridor, but it began to be “widely used for terrorist attacks” against Russian civilian and military targets.
Meanwhile, according to Zakharova, Russian agricultural products remained under sanctions.
Ultimately, according to her, this led to the termination of the Black Sea grain initiative.
“No prerequisites for improvement”
Speaking about the current situation in the Black Sea, Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of attacking civilian vessels.
At the same time, she did not mention Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports and commercial vessels.
“Currently, we are regularly facing terrorist acts initiated in the Black Sea by Ukrainian Armed Forces drones against civilian vessels of coastal countries several times a month,” stated the spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Moscow, according to Zakharova, considers these attacks a “deliberate policy” to destabilize shipping in the region.
At the same time, she stated that Moscow sees no prerequisites for improving the situation, and therefore no grounds for “half measures.”
“Such measures only give the Kyiv regime a temporary break,” stated Zakharova.
Exports suffer due to attacks
In recent weeks, Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks in the Black Sea. This creates risks for food supplies and can affect global grain prices, notes Reuters.
Ukraine is one of the main exporters of corn, wheat, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, and vegetable oil.
About 90% of Ukraine’s raw material exports pass through Black Sea ports in and around Odesa.
In the summer, Russian forces increased strikes on the Odesa region, particularly on port infrastructure, complicating Ukrainian exports.
Russia continually claims that its strikes are allegedly aimed at military infrastructure, logistics facilities, and vessels transporting foreign weapons.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority stated at the beginning of August that Russia had been attacking Ukrainian port infrastructure and civilian commercial vessels in the Ukrainian port area or en route to the Ukrainian maritime corridor almost daily for over a month.
Analysts from the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggest that Russian forces are likely shifting their targeting from the Ukrainian sea corridor to land-based facilities. Analysts believe this may be part of an attempt to hinder Ukrainian grain exports and worsen the overall economic situation in Ukraine.
Reuters indicates that Ukrainian grain exports in August fell by 76% compared to the same period last year due to the de facto blockade of Black Sea ports.
Alternative routes via rail and the Danube have limited capacity.
Due to fears of Russian strikes, many shipowners have stopped entering ports in the southern Odesa region, one of the main centers of Ukrainian grain exports.
Russia also faces export problems. After a Ukrainian attack, Moscow was forced to suspend the operation of all three terminals at its Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
