Russia has suspended its participation in a U.N.-brokered Ukrainian grain export deal, blaming drone attacks on Russian ships in Crimea.

(Reuters file photo)

[Compiled by Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] Russia announced on the 30th that it would suspend its participation in the Ukrainian grain export deal mediated by the United Nations, blaming the move on drone attacks on Russian ships in Crimea.

The Russian side also announced that it will provide 500,000 tons of food to the poorest countries for free in the next four months.

Russian Agriculture Minister Nikolay Platonovich Patrushev told "Russia 24" television, "Russia has been and always will be the most reliable partner and is ready to guarantee the world the necessary amount of food, and our country is ready within the next 4 months. , providing 500,000 tons of food for free to the poorest countries.

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He said Russia would provide food aid "with the participation of our long-term partner Turkey."

More than 9 million metric tons of corn, wheat, sunflower-related products, barley, rapeseed and soybeans have so far been exported from Ukraine after the United Nations, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey signed the so-called "Black Sea Agreement" on July 22.

Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, accused on the 30th that nearly half of the grain exported under the "Black Sea Agreement" was shipped to wealthy developed countries, while Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Sudan and Afghanistan receives only about 3 percent of it.