5 hours before
Credit, Portal
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Russian fleet in Sevastopol in 2014
Russia on Saturday (10/29) announced the suspension of its participation in the international agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports.
The announcement comes hours after Moscow accused Ukraine of a “massive” drone attack on its Black Sea naval fleet in Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula.
According to Russian authorities, nine drones were used in the alleged attack, which would have damaged a ship.
Ukraine responded by saying that Russia “invents terrorist attacks”.
Without providing any evidence, Russia also accused British troops of involvement in the attack and involvement in the Russian gas pipeline explosions in the Baltic Sea last month.
In response, the UK MoD said Russia was selling “disinformation on an epic scale”.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said drones used in Saturday’s attack targeted ships involved in the grain export business.
Hours later, a Foreign Ministry statement in Moscow said that “Russia cannot guarantee the safety of civilian dry cargo vessels participating in the ‘Black Sea Initiative’ and is suspending their implementation indefinitely from today.”
A UN spokesman said the organization that negotiated the deal with Turkey is in contact with Moscow, adding it was “vital that all parties refrain from any action that jeopardizes the Black Sea Grains Initiative”.
Recently, Russia has been involved in what US and Ukrainian officials are calling a disinformation campaign, with baseless claims that Kyiv is preparing a radioactive “dirty bomb” and biological mosquitoes for attacks.
a promised deal
The deal, which enabled the “grain corridor” brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, allowed Ukraine to resume its Black Sea grain exports after Russia blocked them early in the invasion.
Credit, Getty Images
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The grain export deal with Ukraine has mitigated the rise in food prices over the past three months
The treaty was negotiated personally by the UN SecretaryGeneral and was hailed as a major diplomatic victory that helped ease the food price crisis.
However, Russia complained that its exports continued to be hampered and suggested not to renew the deal.
In recent days, Kyiv has accused Moscow of deliberately slowing the flow of ships, creating a queue of more than 170 boats in the region.
Tensions in Crimea
The allegations made by Russia follow the successful recapture of Ukrainian troops from areas occupied by Russian forces since the invasion began on February 24.
Russia responded with largescale attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure, particularly the country’s power grid.
Crimea was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014 and is highly symbolic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In recent weeks, several attacks have hit the peninsula, where the Russian army has established a large presence.
Sevastopol is the largest city in the region and home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Mikhail Razvozhaev, the city’s Russiansworn governor, said the Russian Navy repelled the latest attack the “most massive” in the city since February. He said all drones were shot down and no “civilian infrastructure” was damaged.