Great Britain is allocating an additional £120 million ($155 million) to the Maritime Capabilities Coalition for the protection of the Grain Corridor in the Black Sea.
This was announced by the government of the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, London is seeking partners for co-funding the supply of hundreds of additional maritime drones, as well as surveillance radars to protect the grain corridor.
"The UK has been at the forefront of work to protect the maritime corridor in the Black Sea," the statement said.
The Maritime Capabilities Coalition, led by the UK and Norway, focuses on providing future naval capabilities for Ukraine and has played a vital role in equipping the Ukrainian Navy with maritime drones.
Additionally, the UK and Norway will jointly allocate £100 million to co-fund hundreds more projects.
Recent supplies have included dozens of all-terrain vehicles and raid boats, hundreds of anti-ship missiles for coastal defense and river operations, as well as hundreds of thousands of rounds for provided machine guns.
The UK government stated that Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure in the Black Sea, hindering the delivery of vital aid and disrupting the supply of essential grain shipments to the southern hemisphere.
The escalation of attacks coincides with the harvest season in Ukraine, which remains a major supplier of agricultural products critical to global food security.
UK intelligence shows a noticeable increase in Russia's willingness to take risks during strikes on port infrastructure, with grain transports coming under fire during the Russian campaign.
It is expected that these strikes delayed the departure of the MV SHUI SPIRIT from Ukraine, which was carrying oil intended for the World Food Program in Palestine.
The strike also targeted vessels loaded with grain destined for Egypt, two ships carrying corn, as well as cargo for the World Food Program heading to South Africa.
According to military intelligence, at least four commercial vessels were struck between October 5 and 14, 2024.
"Russia’s indiscriminate strikes on ports in the Black Sea underscore that Putin is willing to gamble on global food security in his attempts to force Ukraine into submission," said Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
