<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The UK government on Wednesday warned that Russia could target civilian shipping in the Black Sea by laying sea mines on the approaches to Ukrainian ports and then blaming Ukraine.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">London last month said that Russian forces targeted a civilian cargo ship in the region with "multiple missiles" but they were successfully intercepted by air defences.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Citing declassified intelligence, it said there was a risk of attack to cargo ships travelling through Ukraine's "humanitarian corridor" to deter Ukrainian grain exports.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Russia's pernicious targeting of civilian shipping in the Black Sea demonstrates Putin's total disregard for civilian lives and the needs of the world's most vulnerable," said Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The world is watching -- and we see right through Russia's cynical attempts to lay blame on Ukraine for their attacks."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cleverly's department said by releasing its assessment of intelligence reports, "the UK seeks to expose Russia's tactics to deter any such incident from occurring".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since then, Russian attacks have damaged 130 port infrastructure facilities and destroyed nearly 300,000 tonnes of grain -- enough to feed more than one million people for a year, the UK said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reaffirmed UK backing for Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky, urging wavering Western allies to maintain weapons supplies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"If we give President Zelensky the tools, the Ukrainians will finish the job," he told his ruling Conservative party's annual conference in Manchester, northwest England. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>