Putin says free grain exports to Africa to begin in ‘weeks’

His feedback throughout a press convention with Turkish chief Recep Tayyip Erdogan within the Black Sea resort metropolis of Sochi got here hours after Russian forces pounded one in all Ukraine’s key grain-exporting hubs in a single day with a swarm of assault drones.

Erdogan advised Putin that Turkey and the United Nations had ready new proposals aimed toward addressing Russia’s issues with the deal, including that he hoped to succeed in a workable resolution “quickly”.

However Putin reiterated that Russia would solely return to the landmark accord when its calls for had been met and as a substitute gave particulars of the plan for shipments to Africa.

“We’re near finishing agreements with six African states, the place we intend to produce foodstuffs without cost and even perform supply and logistics without cost,” Putin stated.

“Deliveries will start within the subsequent couple of weeks.”

The UN and Turkey-brokered deal, which aimed to make sure protected navigation for civilian ships via the Black Sea, collapsed after Russia pulled out in July.

Tensions have constructed within the area since, with Russia mounting assaults on Ukrainian export hubs and Kyiv’s forces concentrating on Moscow’s naval ports and warships.

– Drone barrage –

Earlier on Monday, Russia stated it destroyed 4 US-made Ukrainian army boats carrying troops within the Black Sea en path to the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014.

In Sochi, Erdogan stated there isn’t any various to the unique grain deal and that Ankara was working with the United Nations on addressing complaints levied by Russia, which claims its fertiliser exports are being hampered by Western sanctions. 

“We’ve ready a brand new proposal bundle in session with the UN. I consider that it’s doable to get outcomes. I consider {that a} resolution that may meet Turkey’s expectations will likely be reached quickly,” Erdogan stated.

For the reason that deal collapsed, Moscow has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian ports in what Kyiv says is a cynical try to wreck its exports and undermine international meals safety.

The Russian drone assault on Monday hit a grain export hub on the Danube river, Ukrainian officers stated, including that warehouses and agricultural tools had been broken.

The regional governor Oleg Kiper introduced that air defence techniques had downed 17 drones.

Ukraine’s international ministry claimed Monday that a number of the drones within the assault had fallen on Romanian territory, though Bucharest “categorically” denied the declare.

Whereas most combating throughout Russia’s offensive has taken place inside Ukraine’s borders, Kyiv has sometimes claimed Russian munitions have fallen into European nations, claims that its NATO allies have largely dismissed.

“At no time did the technique of assault utilized by the Russian Federation pose a direct army risk to Romania’s nationwide territory or territorial waters,” the Romanian defence ministry stated.

Ukraine’s army stated Russia had used Iranian-made Shahed drones within the “large” in a single day assault.

– Ukraine’s assault ‘a failure’ –

The strikes come a day after Ukraine fought off a barrage of Russian drones in the identical area, with Moscow’s military claiming the assaults focused gas storage services within the close by port of Reni.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov in the meantime introduced on Monday he had handed in his resignation to parliament after President Volodymyr Zelensky known as for “new approaches” to face Russia’s offensive.

Zelensky’s resolution to take away Reznikov comes after a number of corruption scandals rocked the defence ministry, and the Ukrainian chief eliminated senior army recruitment officers throughout the nation.

“It was an honour to serve the Ukrainian folks and work for the (Ukrainian military) for the final 22 months, the hardest interval of Ukraine’s fashionable historical past,” he added.

His departure comes throughout a highly-scrutinised Ukrainian counteroffensive within the south and east of the nation, which officers stated Monday had made restricted progress.

However Putin in Sochi on Monday claimed that the counteroffensive to retake Ukrainian land misplaced to Moscow had finally been unsuccessful.

“It isn’t that it’s stalling. It’s a failure,” Putin stated. “A minimum of in the present day that is what it seems to be like. Let’s have a look at what occurs subsequent.”

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar earlier on Monday had stated Russian forces had been “on the defensive within the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson sectors,” referring to 2 southern areas that Moscow claimed to have annexed final 12 months.

She added that Ukrainian forces had additionally captured three sq. kilometres (round one sq. mile) close to Bakhmut, a city within the east captured by Russia this Could.

burs-jbr/oc/giv

Initially revealed as Putin says free grain exports to Africa to start in ‘weeks’