The agreement on the export of Ukrainian cereals which expires at midnight (2100 GMT) is “de facto finished”, the Kremlin said on Monday, assuring that Russia will be ready to return to it “immediately” when its conditions are met.
“The Black Sea agreement has de facto ended today,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that “as soon as the part (of the agreements) concerning Russia is satisfied, Russia will immediately return to the grain agreement”.
Important information:
- The bridge connecting Russia to the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea was attacked overnight from Sunday to Monday.
- Ukrainian special services and the navy are believed to be behind this attack.
- Two people were killed in the attack, which also caused extensive damage.
- Ukraine claims to have taken back 18 km2 from Russian forces throughout the territory in one week, particularly around Bakhmout.
- The agreement on the export of Ukrainian cereals which expires at midnight is “de facto finished”, affirmed the Kremlin.
- Moscow assures that Russia will be ready to return “immediately” when its conditions are met.
kyiv hits the strategic Crimean bridge, two dead according to Moscow
Two civilians were killed in the attack that targeted the bridge connecting Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula overnight, Russian authorities said on Monday, accusing Ukraine and opening an investigation for “terrorist act”. “Two civilians, a man and a woman driving in a passenger car on the bridge, were killed,” the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement, adding that their daughter had been injured.
“The investigation identifies the members of the Ukrainian special services and armed formations involved in the organization and execution of this crime”, added this body in charge of the main criminal cases, which opened an investigation for “terrorist act”. On Telegram messaging, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused “the Kiev regime” of carrying out the attack.
On the circumstances of this attack, the Russian Anti-Terrorist Committee (NAK) clarified in a press release that it took place at 03:05 (00:05 GMT) and was carried out by “naval surface drones”.
The Russian governor of the annexed Crimean peninsula, Sergei Aksionov, had initially mentioned on Telegram an “emergency” having required traffic to be stopped on the bridge, the Russian Ministry of Transport specifying for its part that the roadway had been “damaged”.
The Crimean Bridge, 18 kilometers long and inaugurated in 2018 after the annexation of the peninsula by Russia, consists in fact of two parallel works, one reserved for road traffic and the other for rail traffic. It crosses the Kerch Strait.
On Telegram, the Crimea-24 public television channel posted a video of the bridge showing a partially collapsed portion of its road section. The Investigative Committee also released a video, showing men picking up clues from the causeway leaning out to sea.
The railway section of the bridge was not damaged and traffic resumed there in the morning, Crimean authorities said. Ferry services to cross this arm of the sea have also resumed, motorists wanting to cross the strait being called upon to use them.
The President of the Russian Senate, Sergei Mironov, has said that Moscow should in retaliation attack Ukrainian infrastructure and stop negotiations on the grain agreement, which expires on Monday at midnight (21:00 GMT). “That’s what we need to do, not discuss a grain deal that helps Kyiv rulers and their Western masters line their pockets,” he said.
A major tourist destination for Russians, Crimea, which serves as a rear base for the Russian army and has suffered several attacks targeting military infrastructure, is already suffering from the offensive launched in Ukraine and has seen many tourists give up going there. return this year. In October 2022, the explosion of a truck bomb had heavily damaged the bridge and killed three people.
Ukrainian special services and the navy attacked the Crimean bridge with “naval drones”, a source in the Ukrainian security services (SBU) told AFP on Monday. “Today’s attack on the Crimean bridge is a special operation by the SBU and the navy,” the source told AFP, adding that “the bridge was attacked using naval drones “.
kyiv says it took back 18 km2 from the Russians last week
Ukraine claimed on Monday to have taken back 18 km2 from Russian forces across the whole of Ukrainian territory in a week, including 7 km2 around the devastated city of Bakhmout (east), which fell under Russian control in May after months of clashes. murderers.
“Over the past week, as a result of improved operational (tactical) positioning and alignment of the front line towards Bakhmout, (a) territory of 7 km2 has been liberated,” the statement said. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar on Telegram. She added that 11 square kilometers had been retaken in the south in a week, bringing to 18 square kilometers the total area Ukrainians say they recaptured last week in the country.
According to Ganna Maliar, Ukraine has recaptured 180 km2 in the south of the country since the launch of its counter-offensive in early June, and 30 km2 in the east, mainly around Bakhmout, i.e. 210 km2 recaptured in total.
Despite the delivery of long-awaited Western weapons by Kiev, the Ukrainian army is facing Russian troops who have time to establish strong defenses, including formidable minefields, and still have significant firepower to shell the Ukrainian forces.
On Friday, the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andriï Yermak, had admitted that the counter-offensive was not advancing “so quickly” while ensuring that he did not receive pressure from his Western allies in the matter.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian general staff indicated that its army continued its offensive in the south-east while Ganna Maliar evoked a situation which “intensified” near Kupyansk, a city in the north-east of the country where the army Ukrainian is in a “defensive” position.