Russia suspends participation in deal on Ukraine grain exports: TASS

Russia has suspended participation in a UN-brokered deal to export agricultural produce from Ukrainian ports following attacks on ships in Crimea, TASS quoted the defence minry as saying on Saturday.
Russia said that Ukrainian forces, with the help of drones, attacked ships from the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, the biggest city in Russian-annexed Crimea, in the early hours of Saturday.
“Taking into account… the terror act the Kyiv regime with the participation of British experts against the ships of the Black Sea Fleet and civilian vessels involved in ensuring the security of the “grain corridor”, the Russian side suspends participation in the implementation of agreements on the export of agricultural products from Ukrainian ports,” the minry said in a statement.
The minry said earlier that the drone attacks on Saturday were largely repelled, with minor damage to a Russianminesweeper.
United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths had said only on Wednesday that he was “relatively optimic” that the deal that allowed a resumption of Ukraine Black Sea grain exports would be extended beyond mid-November.
Under the July 22 agreement, Ukraine was able to restart its Black Sea grain and fertilizer exports, which had stalled when Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24. The Ukraine export deal was initially agreed for 120 days.