Russia using food as weapon of war - State Department

Russia, which unilaterally withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, is turning food into a weapon of war, launching missile strikes on Ukraine's grain hub and making explicit threats against peaceful ships.

U.S. Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller said this at a briefing on Wednesday, July 19, commenting on today's Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure and Moscow's statements, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Russia continues to use food as a weapon of war," he said.

He noted that for the second day in a row, the Russian Federation has made threats against ships in international waters. Yesterday the Kremlin spokesperson made explicit threats about ships carrying Ukrainian grain, saying that Russia could not ensure their safety. Today, similar threats came from Russia's Ministry of Defense.

"Again, a second day in a row after launching attacks on Odesa, which is the major port for shipping Ukrainian grain," Miller added.

In this regard, he said it ought to be clear to everyone in the world right now that Russia is using food as a weapon of war not just against the Ukrainian people, but against all the people in the world, especially the most underdeveloped countries who depend on grain from the region.

On July 17, Russia announced its withdrawal from the Black Sea grain export deal, which was signed on July 22, 2022 in Istanbul for 120 days and was extended several times.

On July 19, Russia carried out a missile attack on grain terminals in Ukrainian ports. The infrastructure of international and Ukrainian traders and carriers was damaged.

In the port of Chornomorsk, 60,000 tonnes of grain were destroyed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the attack on the Odesa port terminal proves that Ukraine is not the only target for Russia.

Russia's Ministry of Defense said that starting from July 20, Russia would consider all vessels heading to Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea as military targets.