Ukraine war: Russia halts grain deal after 'massive' Black Sea Fleet attack

Russia has announced it is suspending its engagement successful the internationally-brokered woody that allows Ukraine to export atom from its Black Sea ports.

It came hours aft it accused Ukraine of a "massive" drone onslaught connected the Black Sea Fleet successful Sevastopol, Crimea.

Ukraine responded by saying Russia was "inventing panic attacks".

Without providing evidence, Russia besides accused British troops of being progressive successful Saturday's onslaught - and successful blowing up state pipelines past month.

In its response, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russia was "peddling mendacious claims of an epic scale".

Russia's defence ministry says drones utilized successful Saturday's onslaught targeted ships progressive successful the atom deal. It said 1 vas had received insignificant damage.

Hours later, a connection by the overseas ministry successful Moscow said: "In transportation with the actions of the Ukrainian equipped forces, which were led by British specialists, and which were directed, among others, against Russian ships that ensured the functioning of the said humanitarian corridor, the Russian broadside cannot warrant the information of civilian adust cargo ships participating successful the 'Black Sea Initiative', and suspends its implementation from contiguous for an indefinite period."

A UN spokesperson said the organisation, which brokered the woody with Turkey, was successful interaction with Moscow, and added that it was "vital that each parties refrain from immoderate enactment that would imperil the Black Sea Grain Initiative which is simply a captious humanitarian effort that is intelligibly having a affirmative interaction connected entree to nutrient for millions of radical astir the world".

The statement allowed Ukraine to resume its Black Sea atom exports, which had been blocked erstwhile Russia invaded the country.

It was personally negotiated by the UN caput wide and celebrated arsenic a large diplomatic triumph that helped easiness a planetary nutrient crisis.

But Russia has complained that its ain exports are inactive hindered, and had antecedently suggested it mightiness not renew the deal.

In caller days, Kyiv has accused Moscow of deliberately delaying the transition of ships, creating a queue of much than 170 vessels.

Saturday's drone onslaught comes arsenic Ukrainian troops successfully retake territory occupied by Russian troops since they launched their penetration connected 24 February.

Russia has responded by launching large-scale attacks connected Ukrainian infrastructure, peculiarly connected the country's vigor grid.

Crimea was annexed by Russia from Ukraine successful 2014 and is highly symbolic for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In caller weeks, respective attacks person deed the peninsula, wherever the Russian service has built up a ample presence.

Sevastopol is the largest metropolis successful the portion and location to Russia's Black Sea fleet.

Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russian-installed politician of the city, said Russia's navy had repelled the latest onslaught - the "most massive" connected the metropolis since February.

He said that each unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) had been changeable down and nary civilian infrastructure had been damaged.

The Ukrainian authorities seldom comments connected claims made by Russian authorities successful Crimea, though elder officials often observe incidents connected the peninsula.

Ukraine has vowed to recapture each territory that is nether Russian occupation, including Crimea, which has been a cardinal basal for President Putin's forces during the penetration of Ukraine.

Without providing immoderate evidence, the Russian defence ministry besides accused British navy specialists of helping Ukrainian forces hole the onslaught connected Saturday morning.

It besides said the aforesaid portion was "involved successful plotting, organising, and implementation of the violent onslaught successful the Baltic Sea connected 26 September this twelvemonth to stroke up the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 state pipelines".

In its reply, the MoD said: "To detract from their disastrous handling of the amerciable penetration of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defence is resorting to peddling mendacious claims of an epic scale.

"This invented story, says much astir arguments going connected wrong the Russian authorities than it does astir the west."

France besides said it did not judge the Russian allegations.

In caller days, Russia has been engaged successful what US and Ukrainian officials picture arsenic a disinformation campaign, with unsubstantiated claims that Kyiv is preparing to usage a radioactive soiled bomb, oregon adjacent biologic mosquitoes.

The blast killed 3 people, Russian investigators said.