Media: Ukraine offered Russia to stop attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea

Ukraine conveyed to Russia through a third party a proposal for the mutual cessation of attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea. As of August 13, Kyiv had not received Moscow's response to the initiative, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters. Sky News also cites the data in its war chronicle.

The name of the state or intermediary through whom the proposal was delivered has not been disclosed. The matter concerns precisely a mutual renunciation of strikes on civilian objects in the Black Sea, and not the cessation of all combat operations in the region..

At the same time, the Russian side publicly states that it has not yet received a formalized moratorium proposal. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Moscow hears various calls for a ceasefire and moratoriums, but officially formalized initiatives, according to him, have not been transmitted to the Russian side. This does not rule out the delivery of the Ukrainian proposal through an unofficial intermediary channel, as reported by Reuters.

The initiative emerged against the backdrop of intensifying attacks in the Black Sea. In recent weeks, Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of strikes on commercial shipping, port and grain infrastructure. Both sides have also warned that disruption of exports through the Black Sea could affect world food prices.

Simultaneously, the United States is seeking to limit some Ukrainian strikes on maritime targets. According to the Financial Times, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance in late July asked President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacks on oil tankers using the Russian port of Novorossiysk. The reason was Washington's concern about the impact on the international oil market and companies involved in exporting Kazakh oil through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.

According to these reports, Ukraine agreed not to attack the infrastructure of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium or non-Russian vessels if they are not under Ukrainian sanctions and do not carry Russian oil or other Russian cargo. A U.S. official confirmed to Reuters that Washington had warned Kyiv about the need to stop strikes on such facilities.

This restriction does not apply to Russian military facilities. Ukraine continues to strike Russia's military and energy infrastructure, explaining such operations as an effort to reduce the resources Russia uses to wage war.

Thus, for now, the only issue is the Ukrainian proposal to establish a separate security regime for civilian targets in the Black Sea. There is no confirmation that Russia agreed to such terms or that the parties reached a naval ceasefire agreement.

Based on materials from: Sky News, Reuters, Financial Times