MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signaled his readiness to talks aimed at restoring the Black Sea grain export deal, just hours after Russian forces launched an airstrike on a crucial grain-exporting port in Ukraine.
The Black Sea grain export deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, was initially established to ensure safe navigation for civilian ships in the Black Sea. However, the agreement collapsed in July after Russia withdrew its participation.
Since then, Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s port infrastructure, which Kyiv claims is a calculated effort to disrupt its exports and undermine global food security. The latest attack involved a Russian drone strike that inflicted damage on a grain export hub situated on the Danube River. Officials reported significant damage to warehouses and agricultural equipment. Oleg Kiper, the regional governor, confirmed that air defense systems had successfully intercepted and downed 17 drones.
Putin Hints at Important Announcement About Grain Exports Deal
President Putin’s announcement regarding negotiations on the grain deal came during a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Sochi. Erdogan hinted at a forthcoming “very important” announcement regarding grain exports after their discussions.
“I know you intend to raise the issue of the grain deal. We are open to negotiations on this issue,” Putin stated in televised remarks alongside Erdogan.
In response to the attack, Ukraine’s foreign ministry claimed that some of the drones had fallen on Romanian territory, an assertion that Bucharest promptly denied. The Romanian defense ministry asserted that the Russian attack did not pose a direct military threat to Romanian national territory or territorial waters.
While most of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has occurred within Ukraine’s borders, Kyiv has sporadically alleged that Russian munitions have spilled over into European nations. These claims have largely been met with skepticism by NATO allies.
Ukraine’s military reported that the attack followed a previous assault the day before in the same region. Russia’s army claimed that these assaults targeted fuel storage facilities in the nearby port of Reni.
Earlier on Monday, Russia claimed to have destroyed four US-made Ukrainian military boats carrying troops in the Black Sea. The Russian defense ministry disclosed that the boats were heading toward Cape Tarkhankut on the Crimean coast, providing no further details. This incident followed a similar attack on August 30 when Russia reported destroying four Ukrainian military boats carrying up to 50 soldiers in the Black Sea.
In the early hours of Monday, the Russian defense ministry stated that it had repelled a separate Ukrainian attack over the Black Sea. Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been the target of Ukrainian actions throughout Moscow’s Ukraine offensive and has recently experienced heightened attacks.
