Russia backs out of Ukraine grain deal, citing 'massive drone attacks' on its Black Sea Fleet

The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday that Moscow has moved to suspend its implementation of a UN-brokered grain deal which has seen more than 9 million tons of grain exported from Ukraine and has brought down global food prices.

The ministry cited an alleged Ukrainian drone attack against Russia's Black Sea Fleet ships moored off the coast of occupied Crimea, which Russia says took place early Saturday, as the reason for the move. Ukraine has denied the attack.

The Russian declaration came one day after U.N. chief Antonio Guterres urged Russia and Ukraine to renew the deal. Guterres also urged other countries, mainly in the West, to expedite the removal of obstacles blocking Russian grain and fertiliser exports.

The U.N. chief underlined the urgency of renewing the deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July, which expires on Nov. 19, "to contribute to food security across the world, and to cushion the suffering that this global cost-of-living crisis is inflicting on billions of people," his spokesman said.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has said that before Moscow discusses a renewal "Russia needs to see the export of its grain and fertilizers in the world market, which has never happened since the beginning of the deal."

Russia cites Ukraine's drone attack on Black Sea Naval Base

Earlier Saturday, Ukraine and Russia offered differing versions on the Crimea drone attack in which at least one Russian ship suffered damage in Sevastopol, a major port, on the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.

The Russian Defense Ministry said a minesweeper had "minor damage" during an alleged pre-dawn Ukrainian attack on navy and civilian vessels docked in Sevastopol, which hosts the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. The ministry claimed Russian forces had "repelled" 16 attacking drones.

An adviser to Ukraine's Interior Ministry claimed that "careless handling of explosives" had caused blasts on four warships in Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Anton Gerashchenko wrote on Telegram that the vessels included a frigate, a landing ship and a ship that carried cruise missiles used in a deadly July attack on a western Ukrainian city.