Russia accused Ukraine of an attack on an ammonia pipeline and therefore threatened to terminate the grain deal. “On June 5, at 9 pm, in the village of Masyutivka, Kharkiv region, a Ukrainian reconnaissance and sabotage squadron blew up the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said today. .
The Russian Foreign Ministry described the explosion as a “blow to the grain business”. The region’s Ukrainian governor, Oleh Sinehubow, countered in a statement on Telegram: Russian troops bombed the pipeline. Six Russian grenades landed near a pumping station near Masiyutivka. The information was not independently verifiable.
“Cancelled” Agreement
Ammonia is a toxic gas that is processed into fertilizers. Russia is one of the largest producers and exporters of ammonia. A line built in Soviet times from Togliatti on the Volga to the port of Odessa in southern Ukraine was closed after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly pushed in recent months to make the line’s return to service part of the deal.
“The Kiev regime not only physically eliminated the possibility of ammonia supplies, but also aimed at joint efforts to help countries in difficulty and fight hunger,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in Moscow. . Efforts by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who wanted to integrate ammonia deliveries into the grain deal, were also sabotaged. Overall, the agreement is thus undervalued.
The grain deal signed last summer ended a month-long Russian naval blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. As a result, Ukraine, as one of the most important grain exporters in the world, can once again export grain – albeit on a limited basis. The deal has been extended several times, most recently by two months in mid-May. However, Russia complains that promises to facilitate Russian agricultural exports have not been fulfilled in this context.