UPDATE - Russia claims Ukraine blasted grain deal's ammonia pipeline

ADDS STATEMENT BY KHARKIV GOVERNOR

By Elena Teslova and Burc Eruygur

MOSCOW (AA) - The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Wednesday that Ukraine's armed forces intentionally blasted the Tolyatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline in the Kharkiv region, which is mentioned in the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, the ministry's spokesman Igor Konashenkov said several people were injured in the blast.

"On June 5, at about 21:00 Moscow time (1800GMT), in the area of the settlement of Masyutovka, Kharkiv region, a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group blew up the Tolyatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline. As a result of this terrorist act, there are victims among the civilian population," Konashenkov said.

The official noted that ammonia continues draining through the damaged sections of the pipeline.

Commenting on the incident, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recalled that the restoration of supplies through the pipeline is one of the terms of the grain deal.

Zakharova stressed that the Ukrainian side had been refusing to implement the part of the agreement on the pipeline under different pretexts.

"It can already be stated that the only country that has never been interested in resuscitating the pipeline was Ukraine," she added.

The diplomat pointed out that right after the incident, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was possible to repair the pipe "if necessary," but not to resume the supplies of fertilizers.

The spokeswoman said Kyiv initially put forward as the condition for the restoration of ammonia supplies the return of the control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, then demanded additional preferences for the grain deliveries.

"Finally, taking into account the growing pressure, because the supply of Russian ammonia is provided for by both Istanbul agreements, apparently a decision was made -- there is no ammonia pipeline, there are no problems," she said.

In a statement on Tuesday, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synyehubov said they reported a depressurization in a 2.3-kilometer (1.4-mile) section of the Tolyatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline in the Kupiansk district, accusing Russia's shelling in the region for the leak.

"As of now, no ammonia in the air has been recorded in the suburbs of Kupiansk and nearby villages. Near Masiutivka, the concentration of ammonia does not exceed the maximum allowable norm. Observations continue," Synyehubov said.

Synyehubov reported a second shelling towards the pipeline in Kupiansk later on Tuesday, claiming that a total of six arrivals were recorded in the area of the pumping station near the village of Masiutivka.

"As of now, ammonia in the air has not been recorded, the situation is under control," he said.

Last July, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

The Tolyatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline was used for ammonia (a wide-use fertilizer) supplies from the Russian city of Tolyatti to Ukraine's port of Odesa where it was loaded to vessels for further deliveries across the world.

Last year, Nord Stream gas pipelines were blasted in the Baltic Sea, cutting off gas supplies from Russia to Germany.