The expiration of the vital agreement for the export of Ukrainian grains aimed at securing food supplies globally was announced on Monday, shortly after a Ukrainian attack caused damages for the second time to a strategic bridge connecting Russia to the annexed Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Moscow had previously declared its refusal to extend the agreement signed with Ukraine in July 2022, with the sponsorship of the United Nations and Turkey, citing obstacles to the export of Russian agricultural products.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres commented on the Russian decision, emphasizing that "hundreds of millions of people are facing the risk of hunger" and that they "will pay the price."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarded the decision as "unacceptable," warning that it would lead to an increase in food prices.
Blinken stated that "the result of Russia's use of food as a weapon... will make it harder for food to reach those places in urgent need, in addition to driving up prices."
Ukraine has expressed its determination to continue grain exports via the Black Sea, whether Russia provides security guarantees for export ships or not.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted, "Even without Russia, we must do everything to be able to use this passage (for export) in the Black Sea. We are not afraid."
Zelenskyy's statement came after he received support from his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a visit to Istanbul earlier this July, which triggered Moscow's anger.
Early Tuesday, Ukrainian authorities announced the activation of air defenses in the coastal area of Odessa, which includes three grain-exporting ports.
Sergei Pratshuk, the spokesman for the Odessa Military Region, stated on Telegram, "Odessa. The combat operation of the air defense continues."
Ukraine's Southern Operational Command confirmed that Russia was "attacking the southern regions with strike drones."
Russia, on the other hand, claimed to have shot down 28 Ukrainian drones over the Crimean Peninsula, according to the Russian defense ministry and a local official on Tuesday.
The defense ministry's statement indicated that 17 drones sent by the Ukrainian forces were "destroyed," and 11 others were "jammed" electronically.
Russia had persistently rejected numerous calls in recent days to extend the export agreement, demanding that its conditions regarding its grain and fertilizer exports be met.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, stated, "The Black Sea agreement has effectively ended today."
He added, "As soon as the part related to Russia (in the agreement) is fulfilled, Russia will immediately return to the grain agreement."
Later, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, stating, "If the Western capitals really appreciate the Black Sea initiative, they should think seriously about fulfilling their obligations and actually withdraw the sanctions on fertilizers and Russian food. Only when tangible results are achieved, not promises and guarantees, will Russia be ready to consider the resumption of the agreement."
The agreement was signed in July 2022 on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait and had been renewed twice until now. It allowed the export of nearly 33 million tons of grain from Ukrainian ports during the past year, despite the ongoing war.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed by Russia and Ukraine under the auspices of Turkey and the United Nations, aimed to mitigate the risk of famine globally by ensuring the export of Ukrainian agricultural products despite the war.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova informed Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Nations about the Kremlin's decision.
Despite the Kremlin's announcement, Erdogan expressed confidence in the desire of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to continue the agreement.
Hours before the announcement, the Crimean Bridge, a vital supply line for Russian forces in Ukraine, was targeted by a Ukrainian attack on Sunday using "sea drones."
Significant damage was inflicted on the road section of the bridge, primarily used for transporting equipment to Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
However, traffic resumed in the opposite direction on the bridge, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin on Tuesday via Telegram.
A source from Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations revealed to AFP that Ukrainian intelligence and naval forces were behind the attack on the bridge, which crosses the Kerch Strait.
The Russian Investigative Committee stated in a statement, "Two civilians, a man, and a woman in a passenger car on the bridge were killed" in the attack, while their daughter was injured.
Subsequently, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for increased security measures on the strategic Crimean Bridge, labeling the attack as a "terrorist act."
Putin stated during a government meeting, broadcasted by television, "There will certainly be a response from Russia. The Defense Ministry is preparing appropriate proposals."
The 18-kilometer-long bridge comprises a road section and a railway section and was inaugurated by President Putin in 2018 to link Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, annexed in 2014.
In October, a massive explosion, attributed to a truck bomb according to Moscow, caused significant damage to part of the bridge and resulted in the death of three people.
On the frontline, the Ukrainian army reported intense battles in recent days, as its units launched a counteroffensive against Russian troops.
AFP