Russia has accused Ukraine of blowing up a major ammonia pipeline. A “Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group” “blew up” the currently unused Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said today. It was an “act of terrorism” and several civilians were injured.
According to Russian sources, the incident happened on Monday night near a village in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine, most of which Ukrainian troops recaptured last autumn.
The pipeline measures around 2,500 kilometers in total. It connects the Russian city of Togliatti on the Volga with the Ukrainian port city of Odessa on the Black Sea. With the start of the Russian military offensive in Ukraine, its operations were suspended.
Until then, Russia used the pipeline to export ammonia. With their help, more than 2.5 million tons of ammonia, an important component of fertilizers, were transported annually. Moscow is calling for the pipeline to resume operations. This is also part of negotiations to extend the grain deal between the two sides, which will allow the export of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain.