EU urges Russia to revoke Ukraine Black Sea grain deal suspension

The European Union connected Sunday called connected Russia to reverse its determination to propulsion retired of a U.N.-brokered atom deal, a determination that undermined efforts to easiness a planetary nutrient crisis, and that Ukraine said Moscow had planned good successful advance.

Moscow suspended its information successful the Black Sea woody connected Saturday, efficaciously cutting shipments from Ukraine, 1 of the world's apical atom exporters, successful effect to what it called a large Ukrainian drone onslaught earlier successful the time connected its fleet adjacent the larboard of Sevastopol successful Russian-annexed Crimea.

"Russia's determination to suspend information successful the Black Sea woody puts astatine hazard the main export way of much-needed atom and fertilisers to code the planetary nutrient situation caused by its warfare against Ukraine," EU overseas argumentation main Josep Borrell said connected Twitter.

"The EU urges Russia to (reverse) its decision."

On Saturday, U.S. President Joe Biden called the determination "purely outrageous," saying it would summation starvation, portion Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Moscow of weaponising food. On Sunday, Russia's ambassador to Washington, snapped back, saying the U.S. effect was "outrageous" and made mendacious assertions astir Moscow's move.

Russia's defence ministry said Ukraine attacked the Black Sea Fleet adjacent Sevastopol with 16 drones aboriginal connected Saturday, and that British navy "specialists" had helped coordinate what it called a violent attack.

Russia said it had repelled the onslaught but that the ships targeted were progressive successful ensuring the atom corridor retired of Ukraine's Black Sea ports.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Moscow utilized the explosions 220 kilometres (137 miles) distant from the atom corridor arsenic a "false pretext" for a long-intended move.

"Russia has planned this good successful advance," Kuleba said connected Twitter. "Russia took the determination to resume its hunger games agelong agone and present tries to warrant it," helium said, without offering immoderate evidence.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's main of unit accused Russia connected Saturday of inventing attacks connected its ain facilities.

Kyiv often accuses Russia of utilizing the Black Sea Fleet to occurrence cruise missiles astatine Ukrainian civilian targets, a complaint supported by immoderate subject analysts, who accidental that makes the fleet a morganatic subject target.

Moscow besides accused British navy unit of blowing up the Nord Stream state pipelines past month, a assertion that London said was mendacious and designed to distract from Russian subject failures successful Ukraine.

Russia's departure from the atom woody marks a caller improvement successful an eight-month warfare that began with Russia's penetration successful February and that has precocious been dominated by a Ukrainian counteroffensive and Russian drone and rocket attacks that person destroyed much than 30% of Ukraine's generating capableness and deed populated areas.

Each broadside has accused the different of being prepared to detonate radioactive bombs.

Zelenskyy called for a beardown effect from the United Nations and Group of 20 (G-20) large economies to what helium called Russia's nonsensical determination connected the atom deal.

"This is simply a wholly transparent effort by Russia to instrumentality to the menace of large-scale famine for Africa, for Asia," Zelenskyy said successful a video code connected Saturday, adding that Russia should beryllium kicked retired of the G-20.

The atom woody had restarted shipments from Ukraine, allowing income connected satellite markets, targeting the pre-war level of 5 cardinal metric tons exported from Ukraine each month.

More than 9 cardinal tonnes of corn, wheat, sunflower products, barley, rapeseed and soy person been exported nether the July 22 deal.

But up of its Nov. 19 expiry, Russia had repeatedly said that determination were superior problems with it. Ukraine complained Moscow had blocked astir 200 ships from picking up atom cargo.

When the statement was signed, the U.N. World Food Programme said immoderate 47 cardinal radical were suffering "acute hunger" arsenic the warfare halted Ukrainian shipments, causing planetary nutrient shortages and sending prices soaring.

The woody ensured harmless transition successful and retired of Odesa and 2 different Ukrainian ports successful what an authoritative called a "de facto ceasefire" for the ships and facilities covered.

Russia told U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres connected Saturday successful a letter, seen by Reuters, that it was suspending the woody for an "indefinite term" due to the fact that it could not "guarantee information of civilian ships" travelling nether the pact.

Moscow asked the U.N. Security Council to conscionable connected Monday to sermon the Sevastopol attack, Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy wrote connected Twitter.

More than 10 outbound and inbound vessels waited to participate the humanitarian corridor connected Saturday and determination was nary statement for the question of vessels connected Sunday, Amir Abdulla, the U.N. coordinator for the deal, said connected Saturday.