Russia has lifted the moratorium on attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea

The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected proposals from Turkey and Ukraine to mutually refrain from attacking civilian vessels in the Black Sea. It also rejected a return to a version of the 2022–2023 Grain Agreement, which Russia ultimately derailed in July 2023.

This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, responding to a statement by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, said that Russia had not received an official request from Turkey regarding such a moratorium. She also said that Russia does not support a mechanism similar to the 2022–2023 Black Sea Grain Initiative.

The Turkish proposal was prompted by a drone flying near the port of Novorossiysk. A ship flying the Turkish flag was damaged in the incident, and three sailors sustained serious injuries. As a result, on August 9, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan appealed to Kyiv and Moscow, calling for an end to attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea. Ukraine sent the proposal to Russia via an unnamed third party due to concerns about the impact of such strikes on global food supplies.

Earlier, following a request from the United States, Ukraine reduced the intensity of its strikes on oil tankers near Novorossiysk. Attacks on vessels not subject to Ukrainian sanctions and not carrying Russian oil or other Russian cargo were also halted. At the same time, Zakharova’s outright rejection of the limited ceasefire in the Black Sea proposed by Turkey and Ukraine demonstrates Russia’s unwillingness to engage in substantive negotiations. 

Earlier, Russian occupiers struck a civilian vessel carrying wheat near Odesa. A fire broke out on board, killing one Ukrainian sailor and injuring three others.

Юлія Калабайда