Putin says power grid strikes were in response to Crimea drone attack - Reuters

KYIV, Nov 1 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said Russian strikes connected Ukrainian infrastructure and a determination to frost information successful a Black Sea atom export programme were responses to a drone onslaught connected Moscow's fleet successful Crimea that helium blamed connected Ukraine.

Putin told a quality league connected Monday that Ukrainian drones had utilized the aforesaid marine corridors that atom ships transited nether the U.N.-brokered deal.

Kyiv has not claimed work for the onslaught and denies utilizing the atom programme's information corridor for subject purposes. The United Nations said nary atom ships were utilizing the Black Sea way connected Saturday erstwhile Russia said its vessels successful Crimea were attacked.

Meanwhile, connected the 250th time of a warfare that has crushed connected since Russia's penetration of Ukraine connected Feb. 24, Russian missiles rained down crossed the country. Explosions boomed retired successful Kyiv, sending achromatic fume into the sky.

Russian forces shelled infrastructure successful astatine slightest six Ukrainian regions connected Monday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said successful a connection connected Facebook.

"That's not each we could person done," Putin said astatine the televised quality conference, indicating much enactment could follow.

Ukrainian officials said vigor infrastructure, including hydro-electric dams, was hit, knocking retired power, vigor and h2o supplies.

Oleh Synehubov, the politician of the northeastern Kharkiv region, said connected Telegram that astir 140,000 residents were without powerfulness aft the attacks, including astir 50,000 residents of Kharkiv city, the 2nd largest metropolis successful Ukraine.

Ukraine's subject said it had changeable down 44 of 50 Russian missiles. But strikes near 80% of Kyiv without moving water, authorities said. Ukrainian constabulary said 13 radical were injured successful the latest attacks.

For the past 3 weeks, Russia has attacked Ukrainian civilian infrastructure utilizing costly long-range missiles and inexpensive Iranian-made "suicide drones" that alert astatine a people and detonate.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said 18 targets, mostly vigor infrastructure, were deed successful rocket and drone strikes connected 10 Ukrainian regions connected Monday.

WHEAT PRICES JUMP

Moscow announced the suspension connected Saturday of its relation successful the atom programme aft accusing Ukraine of utilizing aerial and maritime drones to people vessels successful the Bay of Sevastopol. It suggested 1 of the drones whitethorn person been launched from a civilian vas chartered to export nutrient from Ukrainian ports.

"Ukraine indispensable warrant that determination volition beryllium nary threats to civilian vessels oregon to Russian proviso vessels," Putin said connected Monday, noting that nether the presumption of the atom woody Russia is liable for ensuring security.

Ukrainian and U.N. officials said 12 ships carrying atom sailed from Ukrainian ports connected Monday contempt Moscow's move. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his state would proceed implementing the programme, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey successful July and aimed astatine easing planetary hunger.

"We recognize what we connection the world. We connection stableness connected the nutrient accumulation market," Zelenskiy told a quality conference. He earlier said Moscow was "blackmailing the satellite with hunger". Russia denies that is its aim.

The U.S. State Department said connected Monday that nutrient prices roseate due to the fact that of uncertainty astir the Black Sea atom woody and that Russia's suspension of its information was having "immediate, harmful" impacts connected planetary nutrient security.

The quality that Moscow was pulling retired of the woody had sent planetary wheat prices soaring by much than 5% connected Monday morning.

Nevertheless, the continued travel of atom exports from Ukrainian ports suggested a caller satellite nutrient situation had been averted for now.

Ukraine and Russia are some among the world's largest exporters of food. For 3 months, the U.N.-backed woody has guaranteed Ukrainian exports tin scope markets, lifting a Russian de facto blockade.

The ships that sailed connected Monday included 1 hired by the U.N. World Food Programme to bring 40,000 tonnes of atom to drought-hit Africa.

Also connected Monday, the Russian Defence Ministry said Moscow had completed the partial military mobilisation announced by Putin successful September and nary further call-up notices would beryllium issued.

Putin announced Russia's archetypal mobilisation since World War Two connected Sept. 21, 1 of a bid of escalatory measures successful effect to Ukrainian gains connected the battlefield.

Defence Minister Shoigu said astatine the clip that immoderate 300,000 further unit would beryllium drafted. But the mobilisation has proceeded chaotically and thousands person fled Russia to debar being drafted.

Reporting by Reuters bureaux, Writing by Cynthia Osterman; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien

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