According to declassified US intelligence, the Russian Navy has been ordered to mine approaches to the ports of Odesa and OchakIv, as well as the mouth of the Dnipro River to block grain exports.
This was reported by The Guardian, citing sources.
It is stated that the mouth of the Dnipro is already being mined. Intelligence believes that Russia is purposefully cutting off and blocking maritime communications with Ukraine. Everything points to the fact that the naval blockade of Ukraine is a strategy of the Russian Federation.
Russian authorities have officially denied planting mines around Black Sea ports.
Besides, the USA published satellite pictures that show the consequences of the Russian missile strike on June 4 on the second-largest Ukraine grain terminal near Mykolayiv.
"Three silo stations and a conveyor system that loads grain on ships were destroyed. As a result of this attack, the capacity of the terminal was reduced by at least a third," said a source.