Ukraine is striking exclusively Russian military installations, while Russia is deliberately attacking Ukrainian civilian port infrastructure, grain terminals, and merchant vessels, said Volodymyr Pavlichenko, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN.
"No one is attacking Russian grain, striking Russian merchant vessels, or destroying Russian grain terminals. Ukraine is exercising its right to self-defense... Our forces are attacking only Russia's military potential and facilities supporting the Russian military machine," Pavlichenko said at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council regarding Russia's attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea on Monday. He emphasized that Russia, in turn, continues to strike Ukrainian ports, grain terminals, and civilian vessels in an attempt to disrupt Ukrainian agricultural exports and put pressure on global food markets.
According to the diplomat, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has damaged or partially destroyed at least 1,054 Ukrainian port infrastructure facilities, damaged 232 civilian vessels, and killed or wounded 307 civilians in attacks on ports and civilian shipping.
Pavlichenko noted that in June and July alone, Russia attacked nearly 50 cargo ships, killing more than 30 people. He added that in less than 48 hours, Russian forces attacked three foreign merchant vessels near Ukrainian ports. He also reported that seaborne exports to Ukrainian ports had been suspended since July 22 due to Russian attacks on civilian merchant vessels, posing risks to global food security, as over 90% of Ukrainian agricultural exports pass through Black Sea ports.
"When Ukraine strikes military airfields, military bases, ammunition depots, and fuel facilities supporting Russian military operations, the war simply returns to where it began. On the contrary, Russia attacks Ukrainian ports, grain terminals, and merchant vessels," Pavlichenko emphasized.
