Russia has accused Ukraine of being liable for an explosion on an important ammonia pipeline, stating that it might negatively impact the renewal of a major grain export settlement. The Togliatti-Odesa pipeline was damaged in a blast on Monday, which Moscow attributes to Ukrainian “sabotage” teams. The Kremlin has declared that it will not renew final year’s grain export deal with Kyiv unless the pipeline is useful.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, nonetheless, has denied these allegations, suggesting that the explosion was extra doubtless a results of Russian shelling. Before the war, the 2,500-kilometre pipeline, working from the Russian metropolis of Togliatti to a few Black Sea ports in southern and western Ukraine, exported 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia yearly. The pipeline ceased operations following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In talks to secure grain exports from Ukraine last yr, Kyiv and Moscow agreed on the safe passage of ammonia via the pipeline, a vital part in fertiliser manufacturing. The vital deal, mediated by the UN and Turkey, was initially agreed upon in June 2022 for a hundred and twenty days and has been prolonged thrice since. The present settlement is set to run out on 17 July.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov informed reporters that the blast might solely have a unfavorable influence on the renewal of the deal, including that the situation is difficult. Replicate acknowledged that it might take between one and three months to restore the harm to the pipeline. However, Industry and Trade minister Denis Manturov stated that Moscow has no entry to the broken section.
Ukraine has firmly denied any involvement within the explosion, insisting that Russia orchestrated the attack. President Zelensky highlighted the difference between the pipeline explosion and the blast at the Khakovka dam, calling the latter an act of terrorism.
In other information, Russian pro-war bloggers have speculated that a long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive has begun within the southern area of Zaporizhzhia. Andrey Rudenko, a correspondent for Russian state television channel Rossiya 24, claimed that Ukrainian tanks had launched assaults on Russian strains within the area, which had been subsequently repelled. Russian-installed governor of occupied Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, also believed that there had been an tried full-scale offensive within the region..