The RAF has stepped up air patrols protecting grain shipments after a surge in Russian attacks (Image: Getty)

       Senior sources said British aircraft have increased flights over the Black Sea to deter Moscow’s forces from targeting their neighbour’s exports.

       It comes after weeks of Russian drone and missile bombardment of key ports and infrastructure serving Ukraine’s international food trade.

       Vladimir Putin ordered the raids after withdrawing from a treaty gua-ran-teeing safe passage for grain ships.

       Experts say the resulting block-ade could lead to food shortages in developing nations and global price rises.

       READ MORE: Russia pummelled by whopping seven drone attacks as Ukraine 'seeks revenge'

       Vladimir Putin ordered the raids after withdrawing from a treaty (Image: Getty)

       A No 10 source said: “We will use our intelligence, surveillance and re-con-nais-sance to monitor Russian acti-vity in the Black Sea.

       “As part of these operations, RAF aircraft are conducting flights over the area to deter Russia from carrying out illegal strikes against civilian vessels transporting grain.”

       Rishi Sunak said before the G20 summit in New Delhi that he wanted to highlight the “impact on food prices” of “Russia’s war on millions of vulnerable people around the world”.

       The Prime Minister added: “I’ll be highlighting that devastating impact so people are aware of what’s happening and put pressure on Russia to cease attacking civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.”

       He said: “Once again, Vladimir Putin is failing to show his face at the G20. He is the architect of his own diplomatic exile, isolating himself in his presidential palace and blocking out criticism and reality.

       “The rest of the G20, meanwhile, are demonstrating that we will turn up and work together to pick up the pieces of Putin’s destruction. That starts with dealing with the terrible global consequences of Putin’s stranglehold over the most fundamental resources, including his blockade of and attacks on Ukrainian grain."

       Volodymyr Zel-en-sky appealed for help during a call with Mr Sunak on Thursday (Image: Getty)

       Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zel-en-sky appealed for help during a call with Mr Sunak on Thursday, tweeting afterwards: “We need partners to help us strengthen the air defence of the Odesa region.”

       In the latest trend, Russia has been attacking ports along the River Danube after they were used as an alternative to the blockaded Black Sea routes. Officials say the inland ports of Reni and Izmail – both close to the border of Nato member Romania – have been hit on a nightly basis.

       Oleg Kiper, regional governor of Odesa, which covers the ports, said 14 Iranian Shahed drones were shot down overnight on Thursday.

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       Denys Marchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, added: “More than 270,000 tonnes of grain has been destroyed during these attacks.

       “They destroy the infrastructure, elevators where grain for export to foreign markets is stored.

       “Russia is doing this because the reduction of exports from Ukraine potentially opens up new foreign markets for them.

       “They want to conquer new markets that Ukraine will not be able to supply.”

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       Yesterday four people were killed and dozens of others injured in Russian air strikes (Image: Getty)

       Putin began to focus drone attacks on the Danube ports after scrapping the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July - arguing it was biased against his own farming exporters.

       Since then, only a handful of vessels - none carrying grain - have been able to sail out of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

       Elsewhere in Ukraine yesterday, four people were killed and dozens of others injured in Russian air strikes across the southern and central regions.

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       Oleksandr Prokudin, regional governor of Kherson, said two women and a 46-year-old man were killed in the village of Odradakamianka.

       The other victim was a security guard killed when a missile smashed into a police office building in President Zelensky’s birthplace, the central city of Kryyyi Rih.

       Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said 54 people were also wounded in the raid which hit office blocks, 17 high-rise apartment blocks, four private houses and a religious building.

       “There is a lot of work - the enemy has caused a lot of trouble in the city,” he said.

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