Agencies

October 30: Russia has pulled out of an internatinaly-brokered grain deal that allows Ukraine to export grains, raising concerns of a global food crisis amid ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

According to Reuters, Moscow said on Saturday that it was suspending participation in the Black Sea deal in response to what it called a major Ukrainian drone attack on its fleet. In a conflict that began in February, Russia calls its actions in Ukraine "a special operation".

The suspension of July's Black Sea Grain Initiative will cut shipments from Ukraine, one of the world's biggest grain exporters, from its crucial Black Sea ports, the news agency further reported.

According to Al Jazeera, the Turkey and UN-brokered deal to unlock grain exports signed between Russia and Ukraine in July is critical to easing the global food crisis caused by the conflict.

The agreement has already allowed more than 9 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain to be exported and was due to be renewed on November 19, the Doha-based news agency added.

"Any act by Russia to disrupt these critical grain exports is essentially a statement that people and families around the world should pay more for food or go hungry," Reuters quoted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as saying in a statement.

Russia's defence ministry said Ukraine attacked the Black Sea Fleet near Sevastopol on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula with 16 drones early on Saturday, and that British navy "specialists" had helped coordinate the "terrorist" attack.

Moscow also accused British navy personnel of blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines last month, a claim that London said was false and designed to distract from Russian military failures in Ukraine, Reuters added.

The grain deal had restarted shipments from Ukraine, allowing sales on world markets, targeting the pre-war level of 5 million metric tonnes exported from Ukraine each month. More than 9 million tonnes of corn, wheat, sunflower products, barley, rapeseed and soya have been exported under the deal, signed on July 22. But ahead of its November 19 expiry, Russia had repeatedly said that there were serious problems with it, Reuters added. Ukraine complained Moscow had blocked almost 200 ships from picking up grain cargoes.

According to the news agency, when the agreement was signed, the UN World Food Programme said some 47 million people had moved into "acute hunger" as the war halted Ukrainian shipments. The deal ensured safe passage in and out of Odesa and two other Ukrainian ports in what an official called a "de facto ceasefire" for the ships and facilities covered.

Russia's departure from the grain deal marks a new development in a war that has recently been dominated by a Ukrainian counteroffensive and Russian drone and missile attacks that have destroyed more than 30 percent of Ukraine's generating capacity and hit populated areas. Each side has accused the other of being prepared to detonate radioactive bombs.

According to Reuters, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's invasion of its smaller neighbour in an offensive he said was aimed at demilitarising and "denazifying" Ukraine. Kyiv and the West say the war is an unprovoked act of aggression by Moscow.