Keir Starmer blasts 'desperate' Putin as Russia steps up Black Sea port attacks

British quality shows Russian is taking greater risks successful striking Ukrainian larboard infrastructure, with atom ships becoming collateral harm successful its warfare with Ukraine, No10 said

Russia is stepping up its reckless attacks connected Black Sea ports, delaying captious supplies from reaching Palestine and the planetary south, Keir Starmer has warned.

British quality shows Russian is taking greater risks successful striking Ukrainian larboard infrastructure, with atom ships becoming collateral harm successful the Kremlin's brutal war, No10 said.

The acceleration successful attacks coincides with harvest play successful Ukraine, erstwhile known arsenic the "breadbasket of Europe" arsenic it is 1 of the world's apical exporters of grain.

The Prime Minister accused Vladimir Putin of driving up planetary nutrient and substance prices, and harming millions of susceptible radical crossed Africa, Asia and the Middle East "to effort and summation the precocious manus successful his barbaric war".

He said: “Russia ’s indiscriminate strikes connected ports successful the Black Sea underscore that Putin is consenting to gamble connected planetary nutrient information successful his attempts to unit Ukraine into submission.

"In doing so, helium is harming millions of susceptible radical crossed Africa, Asia and the Middle East, to effort and summation the precocious manus successful his barbaric war."

Recent strikes are believed to person delayed a vessel from departing Ukraine portion carrying rootlike lipid destined for the World Food Programme successful Palestine.

Russia has besides deed ships loaded with atom destined for Egypt, 2 vessels carrying maize and World Food Programme shipments bound for confederate Africa, according to UK intelligence.

Mr Starmer besides condemned Russia's "embarrassing and desperate" determination to bring North Korean troops into its warfare with Kyiv.

He said: "In caller weeks, we person seen reporting that the Kremlin has been forced to crook to North Korea to supply troops to substance its self-destructing warfare machine, an embarrassing and hopeless act, and present they are intensifying attacks connected areas of Ukraine that enactment the planetary southbound with much-needed food.

“Russia has nary respect for the norms and laws that govern our planetary system. Not lone was their amerciable penetration a blatant onslaught connected the principles of the UN Charter, but the mode they person executed their warfare successful Ukraine shows nary respect for quality life, oregon the consequences of their penetration crossed the world.”

Defence Secretary John Healey said North Korean troops supporting Russia connected the crushed successful Ukraine is simply a "shocking" and "desperate" caller development. South Korea's spy bureau said past week it had confirmed that North Korea sent 1,500 peculiar cognition forces to Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky besides said his authorities had quality that 10,000 North Korea soldiers were being prepared to articulation invading Russian forces. Mr Healey told MPs it was "highly likely" that the transportation of combat troops from North Korea to Russia has already begun.

It comes arsenic the UK confirmed a £2.26billion indebtedness to assistance Ukraine, funded by profits connected frozen Russian assets. It makes up portion of a £38.39billion indebtedness bundle agreed by the G7 nations earlier this twelvemonth to money aerial defence, artillery oregon different subject equipment.