Ukraine blames Russia for making grain export ‘impossible’
Kyiv, Ukraine - Russia's blockade
of grain exports makes it "impossible" for fully loaded ships to
leave port, Ukraine charged Sunday after Moscow claimed drone
attacks on its Crimea fleet had exploited the grain corridor safe zone.
Kyiv's maritime grain exports were halted after Russia pulled out of a landmark agreement that allowed the vital shipments.
The July deal to unlock grain exports signed between Russia and Ukraine and brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, is critical to easing the global food crisis caused by the conflict.
"(A) bulk carrier loaded with 40 tons of grain was supposed to leave the Ukraine port today," Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov tweeted.
"These foodstuffs were intended for Ethiopians, that are on
the verge of famine. But due to the blockage of the 'grain corridor' by Russia the export is impossible," the Ukrainian minister said.
The agreement had already allowed more than nine million tonnes of Ukrainian grain to be exported and was due to be renewed on November 19.
Russia's defence ministry alleged Sunday the attack drones
had "Canadian-made navigation
modules", saying it had recovered debris from some of the weapons in the sea.
Specialists had "conducted an examination of Canadian-made
navigation modules installed on the marine unmanned vehicles", the ministry said.
On Saturday Russia announced its suspension after accusing Kyiv of a "massive" drone attack on the Black Sea fleet, which Ukraine labelled a "false pretext".
US President Joe Biden called
the move "purely outrageous" while Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Moscow was "weaponising food".
UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Sunday expressed "deep concern" about the situation, his spokesman said, and delayed his departure for an Arab League Summit in Algiers by a day "to focus on the issue".
The EU on Sunday urged Russia to "revert its decision".
Enough grain to ‘feed millions’
The centre coordinating the logistics of the deal said in a statement that no traffic was planned for Sunday.
"A joint agreement has not been reached at the JCC for the movement of inbound and outbound vessels on 30 October," it said. "There are more than 10 vessels both outbound and inbound waiting to enter the corridor." Turkey's defence ministry later Sunday said ships would
not leave Ukraine "during this period" but Turkey would continue checks of ships in Istanbul carrying Ukrainian grain "today and tomorrow".
It also said Russia had formally notified Turkey of its sus
pension but "Russian personnel remained at the coordination centre" in Istanbul.
Ukraine's foreign minister said on Twitter that Russia was blocking "two million tons of grain on
176 vessels already at sea" that he said was "enough to feed seven million people."
He accused Moscow of having planned to "resume its hunger games" in advance and said the Black Sea explosions were "220 kilometres away from the grain corridor". Kyiv and the UN earlier urged that the agreement remain in force.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia's move "an absolutely transparent intention of Russia to return the threat of large-scale famine to Africa and Asia".
Sevastopol in Moscow-annexed Crimea has been targeted
several times in recent months and serves as the Black Sea fleet's headquarters and a logistical hub for operations in Ukraine.