Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of attempting to attack gas pipelines that run through the Black Sea to Turkey. “Attempts are being made to break the lines Turk Stream and Blue Stream to attack, through which gas is supplied from Russia to the Republic of Turkey,” Putin said at a press conference with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi on Monday. Russia’s ships would guard the systems. “But they are constantly being attacked, including by drones launched from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports,” Putin said. He did not give details.
Moscow Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in Sochi on the sidelines of the Russian-Turkish meeting that the Drone attacks by Ukraine were also a reason for withdrawing from the grain agreement to ship Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. It was originally agreed in the course of the Black Sea Initiative mediated by Turkey and the United Nations that Ukrainian ports would not be used for attacks on Russian infrastructure. “All of that was violated,” Shoigu said.
In the past week alone, seven Ukrainian surface drones have been destroyed, Shoigu said. This information cannot be independently verified.
The Russian military has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian Black Sea ports in recent weeks, claiming that they have military targets in their sights. Ukraine accuses Russia of terrorism against its ports and civilian infrastructure. Secret services in Kiev have admitted to using drones against Russian targets.
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