Ukrainian grain deal "de facto terminated", says Kremlin

The deal on Ukrainian grain exports, which expires at midnight (21:00 GMT), is "de facto terminated", the Kremlin said on Monday, assuring that Russia would be ready to resume it "immediately" when its conditions are met. 

"The Black Sea agreement has been de facto terminated today," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that "as soon as Russia's part (of the agreements) is satisfied, Russia will immediately return to the grain agreement". 

Signed in Istanbul in July 2022 and already renewed twice, the agreement allowing Ukraine to export its grain across the Black Sea has allowed nearly 33 million tonnes of grain to leave Ukrainian ports in the past year, despite the conflict. 

Moscow has been threatening for several weeks not to renew the agreement, complaining that it hinders its own deliveries of agricultural products and fertilisers, and claiming that the agreement's stated aim - to allow grain deliveries to poor countries - is not being met. 

Turkey, Ukraine and the UN have been notified of the Kremlin's decision, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. 

"Russia has officially notified the Turkish and Ukrainian sides, as well as the UN secretariat, of its objection to the extension of the agreement," she told state news agency TASS. 

Peskov's remarks come just hours after a Ukrainian naval drone strike hit the crucial bridge linking Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula, killing two civilians. 

However, the Kremlin spokesman said the decision not to renew the agreement and the attack were "not linked", explaining that "even before this attack, this was President Putin's position".