Russia suspends traffic along security corridor defined by grain deal: Defense Ministry

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Russia announced late on Monday that it has suspended traffic along the security corridor established by the Black Sea grain deal, as the UN, Türkiye, and Ukraine have agreed on a movement plan for 16 vessels that are in Turkish waters.

“Until the situation around the terrorist action committed by Ukraine on Oct. 29 this year against warships and civilian vessels in Sevastopol is clarified, traffic along the security corridor defined by the Black Sea Initiative has been suspended,” The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The statement reiterates that Moscow suspended its operations under the deal rather than withdrawing from it.

The statement further defined that the movement of ships along the security corridor is “unacceptable,” because Ukraine uses it to “conduct military operations against Russia.”

“Under the current conditions, there can be no question of guaranteeing the security of any object in the specified direction until the Ukrainian side accepts additional obligations not to use this route for military purposes,” the statement adds.

On Saturday, Russia announced that it had suspended its participation in the deal to export Ukrainian grain following attacks on its Black Sea Fleet.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement on July 22 in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February.