Ukrainians in port cities such as Odesa have endured days of Russian strikes as Black Sea tension soars. EPA
Ukrainians in port cities such as Odesa have endured days of Russian strikes as Black Sea tension soars. EPA
Ukrainians in port cities such as Odesa have endured days of Russian strikes as Black Sea tension soars. EPA
Ukrainians in port cities such as Odesa have endured days of Russian strikes as Black Sea tension soars. EPA

World

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US warns of Russian false flags in Ukrainian port cities to justify Black Sea attacks

Moscow has withdrawn from grain deal that allowed safe export of about 33 million tonnes of food through Black Sea

Ellie Sennett
Ellie Sennett
Washington

July 20, 2023

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The US on Thursday accused Russia of staging false flag operations around besieged Ukrainian ports to justify attacks in the Black Sea.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Washington had downgraded and declassified information about a Russian-released video of “the detection and detonation of what they claimed was a Ukrainian sea mine”.

US President Joe Biden's administration believes Moscow has also laid several sea mines around Ukrainian port cities for use in future “false flag” attacks.

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“We believe that this is rather a co-ordinated 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,” Mr Kirby told reporters.

He added that Washington believes Russian forces may “expand their targeting of Ukrainian grain facilities to include attacks against civilian shipping in the Black Sea”.

The claims come as the Kremlin bombards Ukrainian port cities such as Odesa and tension escalates in the Black Sea.

Russia on Monday withdrew from a deal that had allowed the safe passage of about 33 million tonnes of food from Ukraine through the Black Sea, about half of it to developing countries.

Following its departure from the deal, Moscow said that any ships travelling to Ukraine's Black Sea ports will be suspected of carrying military cargo.

The warning comes after Kyiv said it was setting up a temporary shipping route to try to continue exporting grain.

Mr Kirby had harsh words for Moscow, blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for the grain crisis the war in Ukraine has sparked.

“That suspension is going to exacerbate global hunger … Russia has now spent three straight nights striking and bombing Ukrainian ports cities, destroying agricultural infrastructure, and quite frankly, tens of thousands, some 60,000 tonnes of grain,” he added.

The announcement comes alongside new US designations of more than 120 Russian companies, as well as several from Kyrgyzstan, over alleged contributions to the war in Ukraine.

As the war in Ukraine approaches the 500-day mark, 'The National' looks back at the conflict. All photos: AP
As the war in Ukraine approaches the 500-day mark, 'The National' looks back at the conflict. All photos: AP
Ukrainian soldiers cover their ears to protect from Russian tank shelling in a shelter on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region in July
Ukrainian soldiers cover their ears to protect from Russian tank shelling in a shelter on the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region in July
A cemetery in evening sunlight near Lviv in July
A cemetery in evening sunlight near Lviv in July
Flooded streets in Kherson in June after the walls of the Kakhovka dam collapsed
Flooded streets in Kherson in June after the walls of the Kakhovka dam collapsed
Tetiana with her pets, Tsatsa and Chunya, in her house that was flooded when the Kakhovka dam in Kherson was breached
Tetiana with her pets, Tsatsa and Chunya, in her house that was flooded when the Kakhovka dam in Kherson was breached
Young cadets sing the national anthem during a graduation ceremony at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv in June
Young cadets sing the national anthem during a graduation ceremony at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv in June
Bakhmut in April, the site of the heaviest battles in the Donetsk region
Bakhmut in April, the site of the heaviest battles in the Donetsk region
A message on a mirror reads 'Ukraine will prevail' in a badly damaged school in Kharkiv in February
A message on a mirror reads 'Ukraine will prevail' in a badly damaged school in Kharkiv in February
Ukrainian servicemen in position close to the border with Belarus in February
Ukrainian servicemen in position close to the border with Belarus in February
Hospital staff in Kherson with orphaned children at the regional hospital maternity ward in November 2022
Hospital staff in Kherson with orphaned children at the regional hospital maternity ward in November 2022
A sniper unit aims at Russian positions in the Kherson region during an operation in November 2022
A sniper unit aims at Russian positions in the Kherson region during an operation in November 2022
Ukrainian artillerymen fire at Russian positions near Bakhmut in November 2022
Ukrainian artillerymen fire at Russian positions near Bakhmut in November 2022
A Ukrainian serviceman near Oskil village in October 2022
A Ukrainian serviceman near Oskil village in October 2022
Funeral workers carry the coffin of an unidentified civilian who died in the Bucha community during the Russian occupation period in February-March 2022
Funeral workers carry the coffin of an unidentified civilian who died in the Bucha community during the Russian occupation period in February-March 2022
Cadets practise with gas masks in a bomb shelter on the first day of school at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv, Ukraine, in September
Cadets practise with gas masks in a bomb shelter on the first day of school at a cadet lyceum in Kyiv, Ukraine, in September
A young girl with her dog waves goodbye to her grandparents from an evacuation train leaving Pokrovsk in August 2022
A young girl with her dog waves goodbye to her grandparents from an evacuation train leaving Pokrovsk in August 2022
A child looks up at a building destroyed during attacks in Irpin in May 2022
A child looks up at a building destroyed during attacks in Irpin in May 2022
An elderly patient boards a medical evacuation train in Pokrovsk in May 2022
An elderly patient boards a medical evacuation train in Pokrovsk in May 2022
Nila Zelinska holds a doll belonging to her granddaughter that she found in her destroyed house in Potashnya, on the outskirts of Kyiv, in May 2022
Nila Zelinska holds a doll belonging to her granddaughter that she found in her destroyed house in Potashnya, on the outskirts of Kyiv, in May 2022
Residents shelter in the city subway of Kharkiv in May 2022
Residents shelter in the city subway of Kharkiv in May 2022
Destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, April 2022
Destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, April 2022
A family fleeing the village of Ruska Lozova in April 2022 arrive in their shrapnel-riddled car at a screening point in Kharkiv
A family fleeing the village of Ruska Lozova in April 2022 arrive in their shrapnel-riddled car at a screening point in Kharkiv
Smoke fills the air after shelling in Odesa in April
Smoke fills the air after shelling in Odesa in April
Yehor, 7, with a wooden toy rifle next to destroyed Russian military vehicles near Chernihiv in April 2022
Yehor, 7, with a wooden toy rifle next to destroyed Russian military vehicles near Chernihiv in April 2022
Security Service of Ukraine servicemen enter a building during an operation to arrest suspected Russian collaborators in Kharkiv in April 2022
Security Service of Ukraine servicemen enter a building during an operation to arrest suspected Russian collaborators in Kharkiv in April 2022
A Ukrainian soldier during a pick-up game of football in Irpin in April 2022
A Ukrainian soldier during a pick-up game of football in Irpin in April 2022
The partially abandoned town of Chernobyl in April 2022
The partially abandoned town of Chernobyl in April 2022
Ruslan Mishanin, 36, bids farewell to his nine-year-old daughter as the train with his family leaves Odesa for Poland in April
Ruslan Mishanin, 36, bids farewell to his nine-year-old daughter as the train with his family leaves Odesa for Poland in April
Halyna Falko, 52, talks to reporters in March 2022 while looking at the destruction caused to her house near Brovary after a Russian attack
Halyna Falko, 52, talks to reporters in March 2022 while looking at the destruction caused to her house near Brovary after a Russian attack
Anti-tank barricades on a street in preparation for a possible Russian offensive in Odesa in March 2022
Anti-tank barricades on a street in preparation for a possible Russian offensive in Odesa in March 2022
A man recovering items from a burning shop after a Russian attack in Kharkiv in March 2022
A man recovering items from a burning shop after a Russian attack in Kharkiv in March 2022
Ukrainians under a destroyed bridge as they as they cross the Irpin river on the outskirts of Kyiv in March 2022
Ukrainians under a destroyed bridge as they as they cross the Irpin river on the outskirts of Kyiv in March 2022
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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

Updated: July 20, 2023, 6:45 PM`