Russian Defense Ministry says drone attacks in annexed Crimea threaten grain deal extension

The Russian Defense Ministry said that the next extension of the grain deal is under threat due to attacks by "unmanned boats" in the annexed Sevastopol and Crimea. The Russian military department blamed the Ukrainian authorities for the attacks. This was reported on the Defense Ministry's Telegram channel.

In its statement, the Defense Ministry recalls that at the end of October 2022, Russia suspended its participation in the agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. This decision was made due to the drone attack on ships in Sevastopol, which the department announced on October 29. The Defense Ministry claims that the grain deal was resumed "only thanks to Turkey's guarantees and Ukraine's written commitments not to use the humanitarian corridor and Ukrainian ports to conduct military operations against the Russian Federation."

The Ministry of Defense stated that on March 23 and April 24, "Ukraine launched repeated attacks on the Black Sea Fleet base in the city of Sevastopol and the civilian infrastructure of Crimea using unmanned boats." According to the department, they were launched from the waters of the port of Odessa, "designated for the implementation of the Black Sea initiative."

The department said in a statement that this puts at risk another extension of the grain deal on May 18.

Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed their involvement in the drone attacks.

• On the morning of April 24, the governor of annexed Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, reported that the city was attacked by surface drones. According to him, one drone was shot down, and another exploded on its own. Later, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that at about 3:30 a.m. on April 24, three "unmanned high-speed boats" attempted to attack the Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol. The Russian anti-submarine sabotage forces destroyed them as they approached Sevastopol Bay.
• On March 22, Razvozzhaev reported that the Black Sea Fleet successfully repelled an attack by surface drones on Sevastopol Bay.