Ukraine blames Russia for making grain export 'impossible'

Ukraine is pushing a counter-offensive in the south to retake territory held by Moscow for months

Kyiv's maritime grain exports were halted after Russia suspended its participation in a landmark deal allowing the vital shipments

Russia's blockade of grain exports makes it "impossible" for fully loaded ships to leave port, Ukraine charged Sunday after Moscow claimed drone attacks on its Crimea fleet had exploited the grain corridor safe zone.

Kyiv's maritime grain exports were halted after Russia pulled out of a landmark agreement that allowed the vital shipments.

"(A) bulk carrier loaded with 40 tons of grain was supposed to leave the Ukraine port today," Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov tweeted.

The agreement, which established a safety corridor through which vessels could travel to Istanbul for inspections, had already allowed more than nine million tonnes of Ukrainian grain to be exported and was due to be renewed on November 19.

US President Joe Biden called the move "purely outrageous" while Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Moscow was "weaponising food".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday expressed "deep concern" about the situation, his spokesman said, and delayed his departure for an Arab League Summit in Algiers by a day "to focus on the issue".

- Enough grain to 'feed millions' -

"A joint agreement has not been reached... for the movement of inbound and outbound vessels on 30 October," it said. "There are more than 10 vessels both outbound and inbound waiting to enter the corridor."

It also said Russia had formally notified Turkey of its suspension but "Russian personnel remained at the coordination centre" in Istanbul.

Ninety-seven loaded ships were waiting for clearance off Istanbul's coast Sunday, the United Nations, which coordinates the JCC, said in a statement, adding it was proposing reopening the "maritime humanitarian corridor" to 14 vessels on Monday.

"This is an absolutely transparent intention of Russia to return the threat of large-scale famine to Africa and Asia," he added.

Sevastopol in Moscow-annexed Crimea has been targeted several times in recent months and serves as the Black Sea fleet's headquarters and a logistical hub for operations in Ukraine.

It alleged British "specialists" based in the southern Ukrainian city of Ochakiv had helped prepare and train Kyiv to carry out the strike. 

Britain strongly rebutted both claims, saying "the Russian Ministry of Defence is resorting to peddling false claims of an epic scale".

- 'Massive' attack -

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said Saturday's drone attack was the "most massive" the peninsula had seen. 

In early October, Moscow's key bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland was damaged by a blast that President Vladimir Putin blamed on Ukraine.

Moscow-installed authorities in Kherson, just north of Crimea, have vowed to turn the city into a fortress, preparing for an inevitable assault. 

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