Ukraine’s maritime grain exports were interrupted this Sunday after Russia suspended its participation in the agreement that enabled the delivery of this vital commodity.
The agreement to unblock grain supplies, signed by Russia and Ukraine with the mediation of Turkey and the UN, is essential to alleviate the world food crisis caused by the conflict.
This agreement enabled the export of nine million tons of Ukrainian grain and its extension was scheduled for November 19.
This Saturday, Moscow announced it would suspend the agreement after accusing Kiev of launching a “mass” drone strike against its fleet in the Black Sea — a situation Ukraine deemed a “false pretext”.
US President Joe Biden called this Russian decision “outrageous” and his Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Moscow is “once again trying to turn food into weapons”.
For its part, the European Union has urged Russia to “reverse its decision”.
The center that coordinates the logistics of the agreement confirms in a note that no traffic is planned for this Sunday.
“No agreement has been reached in the Joint Coordination Center for the movement of inbound and outbound ships before October 30,” he said. “More than 10 ships, both inbound and outbound, are waiting to pass through the corridor.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba estimated that Russia is blocking “two million tons of grain on 176 ships every day”, which is enough to feed “seven million people”.
Kuleba also demanded that Moscow end its “hunger games” and said the blast was more than “220 kilometers from the grain corridor”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admits that Russia’s decision “is an absolutely transparent intention to return to the threat of widespread famine in Africa and Asia”.
Meanwhile, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, believes that “it is vital that all parties refrain from any action that could jeopardize the agreement”.
“False Claims”
The city of Sevastopol, on Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia, has been the target of several attacks in recent months and is the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and a coordination center for operations in Ukraine.
The Russian army said it had “destroyed” nine airborne and seven maritime drones that attacked the port earlier on Saturday.
“The preparation of this terrorist act and the training of the army of the 73rd Special Maritime Operations Center of Ukraine were carried out by British specialists in Ochakov, in the Mykolaiv region of Ukraine,” the Russian defense ministry said on the Telegram platform.
The Russian military also accused the United Kingdom of being involved in the explosions that took place in September and caused the leaks of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea, built to transport Russian gas to Europe.
The UK has dismissed the allegations, arguing that the Russian Defense Ministry is resorting to “spreading false accusations of an epic dimension”.
Russian diplomatic spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday that Moscow is taking the matter, as well as the drone strikes, to the UN Security Council.
A “mass” attack
Governor Mikhail Razvojayev in Sevastopol announced the attack was the “most massive” attack on the peninsula to date in the conflict.
The number of attacks on Crimea has multiplied in recent weeks, in parallel with the advance of a Ukrainian counter-offensive towards the city of Kherson, near the peninsula that serves as a rear base for the Russian military operation.
Ukraine said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces on the southern front are “resisting and attacking the enemy to create conditions for more offensive actions”.
The Russian authorities occupying Kherson promised to turn the city into a fortress and prepare for an inevitable attack.
Meanwhile, pro-Russian separatists on Saturday announced a new prisoner swap with Ukraine, which estimated 50 soldiers from each country could return home.
Turkey negotiates with Russia to return the deal
Meanwhile, the Turkish government has already started negotiations with Russia to resume the grain and fertilizer export agreement with Ukraine.
An Ankara government official, who asked not to be named, confirmed to Bloomberg that talks will continue Monday if no progress is made through Sunday.
The same source said “there are grounds for optimism,” although Russia has assured that its withdrawal from the agreement, brokered by Turkey at the time, would have an indefinite scope.
The United Nations Joint Coordination Center said on Saturday the practical impossibility of continuing with exports after Moscow left the agreement and confirmed that “no protocol is in force” for the movement of ships.
Source: DN
