Britain on Monday accused Russia of targeting a civilian cargo ship in a Black Sea port on August 24 in a previously unconfirmed missile attack that Ukrainian defenses successfully thwarted, Reuters reported.

Ukraine has sought permission for ships stuck in Odesa port since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict to enter open waters after the collapse of the UN-backed Black Sea Grain Corridor.

The remarks, made in the British Parliament by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, are the first time an official has commented on the ship, which has been targeted since the Ukrainian effort began. Since August 18, four cargo ships left Odesa.

“Thanks to declassified information, we know that on August 24, the Russian military targeted a civilian cargo ship in the Black Sea with several missiles,” Sunak told parliament.

The missiles were aimed at a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in port and were successfully shot down, the British Foreign Office said in a statement. Among the missiles were two Kalibr missiles launched by the Black Sea Fleet,” the report said.

After Russia pulled out of a UN-brokered deal in July that allowed Ukraine to safely export grain through the Black Sea, Ukraine accused Moscow of threatening civilian shipping in the Black Sea.

Both the United States and Britain warned in July that Russia could expand its attacks on Ukrainian grain capacity to include attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea.

“Putin is trying to win a war he can’t win and these attacks show how desperate he is,” said Foreign Secretary James Cleverley.

“By targeting Ukrainian cargo ships and infrastructure, Russia is harming the rest of the world.”

Follow the latest events of the 565th day of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HOTNEWS.RO.