Russia suspends participation in grain deal over attacks on Black Sea Fleet: Defense Ministry

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia has suspended its participation in the deal to export Ukrainian grain, following attacks on its Black Sea Fleet, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

This came “in the light of the recent events connected to the terrorist attacks against ships of the Black Sea Fleet," a ministry statement said.

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. A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN has been set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

On Saturday, Russia accused the UK of being involved in explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines as well as of helping Ukraine plan a drone attack on Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port of Sevastopol.

The British Defense Ministry rejected the allegations, saying: "To detract from their disastrous handling of the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defence is resorting to peddling false claims of an epic scale."