US Warns of False Flag Attacks as Russia Targets Civilian Ships Off Ukraine

A Russian military helicopter flies over damaged parts of an automobile link of the Crimean Bridge connecting Russian mainland and Crimean peninsula over the Kerch Strait not far from Kerch, Crimea, on July 17, 2023. AP Photo

The United States is warning that Russia could use its own sea mines in a false flag operation to justify the ongoing targeting of civilian grain vessels in the northern Black Sea.

White House National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on July 20 that the Biden administration felt it was necessary to issue a “warning” about Russian disinformation on the topic.

Moscow, he said, released a video late Wednesday alleging to demonstrate the seizure and detonation of a Ukrainian sea mine.

Despite the claim, Mr. Kirby said, Russia itself is currently placing sea mines at the entrances to Ukrainian ports and targeting civilian ships carrying food to and from the region.

“Our information indicates additional sea mines in the entrances to Ukrainian ports, and yesterday we observed Russia release a video of the detection and detonation of what they claim was a Ukrainian sea mine,” Mr. Kirby said.

“We believe that this is rather a coordinated effort to justify any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea and then blame them on Ukraine in what we would consider… a false flag operation.”

Russian Military Targets Civilian Grain Ships

Mr. Kirby’s comments come just days after Moscow announced it would not renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative. That deal allowed ships to carry grain to and from Ukraine, provided they were inspected by a third party to ensure they were not being used to smuggle weapons.

Ukraine is the world’s fifth largest exporter of wheat, delivering more than 18 tons of food to the world’s nations every year.

Since the deal ended, Mr. Kirby said, Russia has begun targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukrainian port cities in an apparent effort to destroy Ukraine’s food supply, including its capacity to import and export grain. Russian forces are also placing sea mines around Ukrainian ports, he said.

“Russia has already announced publicly that all ships proceeding to Ukrainian ports in Black Sea waters will be considered potential carriers of military cargo, even though they are simply trying to pick up food that will feed people around the world,” Mr. Kirby said.

At least 27 people were reported hurt in Russian air strikes on Ukrainian ports this week, which set buildings ablaze and even damaged China’s consulate in Odesa.

In addition to targeting civilian grain ships, Moscow has also declared it will track any such ships entering Ukrainian ports and their flag countries as parties to the war on the Ukrainian side

To that end, Mr. Kirby said the White House was “watching very, very closely” for any sign of a Russian false flag operation that might justify increased attacks against civilian infrastructure, further jeopardizing the world’s food supply.

Likewise, he said, the Biden administration is issuing sanctions against nearly 120 entities it says are responsible for helping Russia obtain access to international finance and military technologies.

“We’re taking additional steps to hold Russia accountable for its illegal war against Ukraine,” Mr. Kirby said.

Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Stalls

Russia’s refusal to renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative comes as both Moscow and Kyiv contend increasingly narrow pathways to ensure victory in the ongoing war.

Moscow continues to deal with the fallout from the Wagner mercenary group’s aborted mutiny against Russian military leadership, which has undermined confidence in Russian President Vladimir Putin at home and raised doubts about the nation’s ability to continue finding warm bodies for the front lines.

Kyiv’s long-awaited counteroffensive against Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, meanwhile, has stalled. Ukrainian forces are currently making excruciatingly slow progress pushing east as they are bogged down by hundreds of miles of Russian minefields and concealed hunter-killer teams.

The Ukrainian armed forces have not been without their victories, however.

A pre-dawn attack on Monday critically damaged a section of the only bridge linking Russia to occupied annexed Crimea, a key supply route for Russian forces in the war. The attack forced closure of the bridge for the second time in less than a year.

Ukraine has not formally claimed responsibility for the attack, but a senior defense official said Kyiv would reveal details of the attack after the war was won.

Speaking to the press Tuesday about the stalled counteroffensive, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said some stop-and-go was expected in the operation.

“Real war is not predictable. It is filled with fear and fog, and friction. Real war is brutal,” Gen. Milley said.

“That’s the difference between war on paper and real war.”

Gen. Milley added that much of the slowdown was due to Russia’s creation of expansive countermeasures, including the minefields, which Moscow has been preparing for much of the last 18 months since the war started.

The war, he said, would see much more gore before reaching a conclusion.

“They’ve had a lot of time to prepare,” Gen. Milley said of the Russian fortifications.

“[The Ukrainians are] working their way through it. It is far from a failure… there’s a lot of fighting left to go.”