Kremlin cancels grain deal agreement

The Kremlin has declared the effective termination of the grain agreement according to Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, as reported by RIA Novosti, a Russian state news agency.

“We have effectively terminated the grain agreement; it has been suspended,” Peskov stated.

Peskov did not comment as to whether the decision to cancel the agreement was related to the explosions on the Crimean Bridge in the early hours of July 17.

He added that Russia is open to reconsidering its decision if “agreements are fulfilled.”

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that Moscow has officially informed Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Nations Secretariat of its objections to extending the grain agreement.

Zakharova said that a detailed statement “providing detailed explanations of the Russian position” will be released soon.

Read also: Russia once again halts Ukrainian grain exports

Since June 27, Russia has not registered any new vessels under the grain agreement, effectively suspending operations in the grain corridor.

Russia has previously issued threats to withdraw from the agreement, which was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July of the previous year. The agreement has already been extended three times – in November 2022, and in March and May 2023.

On July 14, a UN representative stated that Secretary-General António Guterres is awaiting a response from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin regarding the proposal to extend the agreement.

However, on the same day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Putin had agreed to the necessity of extending the grain agreement, a claim later denied by the Kremlin.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed under the auspices of the United Nations and Turkey in July of the previous year, allowed for the utilization of three Ukrainian ports for food exports. Operations in the grain corridor began on Aug. 1, 2022.

Latest updates on the Crimean Bridge blast

On the morning of July 17, Sergei Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed “head” of Russia-occupied Crimea, declared an “extraordinary event” near the 145th pylon of the Crimean Bridge.

Russian media outlets have reported explosions and potential damage to the bridge’s supports and one of its spans. The Russian Ministry of Transport later claimed that the roadway had been affected.

Road traffic was halted, but rail transport has since been restored. Massive traffic jams formed before the bridge, and the occupants urged Russians to travel through temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Read also: Ukrainian Air Force comments on Crimean Bridge explosions

The governor of Belgorod Oblast reported two deaths and one injured child.

Russian resources suggest that the Crimean Bridge may have been attacked by upgraded water drones. The Ukrainian Armed Forces do not rule out the possibility that the explosions could be a Russian provocation.

In response to the incident, Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukrainian intelligence, quoted the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, saying, “The Crimean Bridge is a superfluous construction.”

NV sources indicate that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian Naval Forces are implicated in the attack on the Crimean Bridge. The object was allegedly targeted by naval drones.

The SBU responded initially without directly confirming involvement. Later, the agency made an official statement.

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