The United Kingdom and France condemned Russia's attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea during a UN Security Council meeting, warning that the strikes threaten the food security of millions of people worldwide.
Speaking at the meeting, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations Sarah MacIntosh said Russia is on track to launch more than 300 missiles against Ukraine in July, which would mark a grim record for the war.
"Russia is on course to fire more than 300 missiles at Ukraine in July, setting a grim new record in this war," MacIntosh said.
She recalled that on July 19, three cruise missiles struck a vessel carrying grain from Odessa, killing 10 civilians. She also noted that Russian attacks on July 24 killed and injured civilians in Kyiv and damaged the building of Latvia's Honorary Consulate in Sloviansk.
MacIntosh also highlighted repeated violations of Romanian airspace by Russian drones.
"The United Kingdom stands in full solidarity with Ukraine, as well as with Latvia and Romania," she said.
According to the British diplomat, Russia is attempting to equate its large-scale missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and its illegal and brutal occupation of Ukrainian territory with Ukraine's efforts to defend itself.
"But there is no equivalence. Ukraine is exercising its inherent right of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter," she stressed.
Addressing the impact of the war on Russia itself, MacIntosh said Moscow is now spending more on compensation payments to the families of fallen soldiers than on the salaries of active-duty military personnel.
"Across Russia, civilians are queuing for fuel. Forty-two percent of the country's oil refining capacity has been taken offline, and a country with some of the world's largest oil reserves is now importing fuel," she said.
MacIntosh added that Russia's economic growth has slowed, its budget deficit has doubled, and the real incomes of ordinary Russians continue to decline.
She reaffirmed that the United Kingdom remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine.
France's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jérôme Bonnafont, also urged the Security Council to recognize the scale of Russia's campaign against Ukraine's agricultural exports.
"By attacking and deliberately destroying Odessa's port infrastructure, vessels carrying Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea, and a World Food Programme warehouse in Dnipro, Russia is not only killing innocent civilians but is also directly threatening the food security of millions of people, particularly in Africa and the Middle East," Bonnafont said.
He added that France would continue to provide Ukraine with comprehensive support.
