Kremlin cancels grain deal agreement
The Kremlin has declared the effective termination of the grain agreement according to Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, as reported by RIA Novosti, a Russian state news agency.
“We have
effectively terminated the grain agreement; it has been suspended,” Peskov
stated.
Peskov did not
comment as to whether the decision to cancel the agreement was related to the
explosions on the Crimean Bridge in the early hours of July 17.
He added that
Russia is open to reconsidering its decision if “agreements are fulfilled.”
Maria Zakharova,
spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that Moscow
has officially informed Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Nations Secretariat of
its objections to extending the grain agreement.
Zakharova said
that a detailed statement “providing detailed explanations of the Russian
position” will be released soon.
Since June 27,
Russia has not registered any new vessels under the grain agreement,
effectively suspending operations in the grain corridor.
Russia has
previously issued threats to withdraw from the agreement, which was brokered by
the United Nations and Turkey in July of the previous year. The agreement has
already been extended three times – in November 2022, and in March and May
2023.
On July 14, a UN
representative stated that Secretary-General António Guterres is awaiting a
response from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin regarding the proposal to extend
the agreement.
However, on the
same day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Putin had agreed
to the necessity of extending the grain agreement, a claim later denied by the
Kremlin.
The Black Sea
Grain Initiative, signed under the auspices of the United Nations and Turkey in
July of the previous year, allowed for the utilization of three Ukrainian ports
for food exports. Operations in the grain corridor began on Aug. 1, 2022.
Latest updates on the Crimean Bridge blast
On the morning of
July 17, Sergei Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed “head” of Russia-occupied
Crimea, declared an “extraordinary event” near the 145th pylon of the Crimean
Bridge.
Russian media
outlets have reported explosions and potential damage to the bridge’s supports
and one of its spans. The Russian Ministry of Transport later claimed that the
roadway had been affected.
Road traffic was
halted, but rail transport has since been restored. Massive traffic jams formed
before the bridge, and the occupants urged Russians to travel through
temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
The governor of
Belgorod Oblast reported two deaths and one injured child.
Russian resources suggest that the Crimean Bridge may have been attacked by upgraded water drones. The Ukrainian Armed Forces do not rule out the possibility that the explosions could be a Russian provocation.
In response to the
incident, Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukrainian intelligence, quoted the
head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, saying, “The
Crimean Bridge is a superfluous construction.”
NV sources
indicate that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian Naval
Forces are implicated in the attack on the Crimean Bridge. The object was
allegedly targeted by naval drones.
The SBU responded
initially without directly confirming involvement. Later, the agency made an
official statement.
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