WASHINGTON, July 20. /TASS/. Washington’s attempts to accuse Russia of preparing some attacks on civilian ships are pure hoax, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said, according to the Russian Embassy Telegram channel.
The diplomat commented on the claim made by the White House National Security Coucil Spokesman Adam Hodge that Russia allegedly plans sabotage against civilian ships in the Black Sea.
“First of all, let me emphasize that this remarks completely contradict our approaches,” he said. “Unlike the US authorities, which continue turning a blind eye to the terrorist attacks of their mentees in Kiev, we have always been at the forefront of the fight against such crimes.”
“Attempts to attribute to Russia the preparation of some attacks on civilian ships are pure falsification. It’s no secret that the Administration does not disdain the vilest anti-Russian information provocations,” the Russian diplomat continued. “Suffice it to recall the shameful fake news about Bucha, the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and the Zaporozhye NPP. Not to mention indulging Kiev in attacks on the Crimean Bridge, use of cluster munitions, UAV raids on residential areas and assassinations of journalists. Along the same lines, the desire to mothball the investigation into the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipelines.”
“We regard the US statements as an attempt to disguise by any means its own destructive activities, aimed at the de facto sabotage of the implementation of the interrelated Istanbul agreements, as well as to discourage representatives of the Global South from cooperation with Russia,” he added. “Undermine confidence in our country, which, not in words but in deeds, helps developing nations with the supply of food and fertilizers, including free of charge.”
“It is especially indicative that the Administration is becoming more active with such insinuations on the eve of major international for a,” Antonov said. “And now a new round of false propaganda precedes the upcoming second Russia-Africa Summit scheduled for the end of July in St. Petersburg and the BRICS Summit in August.”
A package of documents geared to resolve the problem of food and fertilizer supplies on global markets was signed on July 22, 2022 in Istanbul and extended several times since then before ultimately expiring on July 17. Russia refused to extend it again because the part of the deal envisaging the removal of obstacles for Russian agricultural exports has never been implemented. Apart from that, Moscow has repeatedly stressed that the bulk of grain that was meant to be supplied to the poorest counties was shipped to Western countries. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is ready to resurrect the deal but only after its part related to obligations to Moscow is fulfilled.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on July 19 that Moscow would regard all ships that go to Ukrainian ports across the Black Sea as carriers of military cargoes, starting from 12:00 am Moscow time on July 20, in a move related to the termination of the grain deal. It said the flag states of such ships will be viewed as participating in the Ukrainian conflict on the side of Kiev. The ministry also stated that some sea areas in the northwestern and southeastern international waters of the Black Sea were declared temporarily dangerous for navigation.