Russia will resume its participation in a deal freeing up grain exports from Ukraine, reversing a move that world leaders warned would increase hunger globally.

Russia, whose forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, announced the reversal after Turkey and the United Nations helped keep Ukrainian grain flowing for several days without a Russian role in inspections.

The defence ministry justified the change by saying it had received guarantees from Ukraine that it would not to use the Black Sea grain corridor for military operations against Russia.

Kyiv did not immediately comment on that, but has denied in the past using the shipping corridor as cover for attacks.

“The Russian Federation considers that the guarantees received at the moment appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation of the agreement,” a defence ministry statement said on Wednesday.

The grain deal, reached three months ago, had alleviated a global food crisis by lifting a de facto Russian blockade on Ukraine, one of the world’s biggest grain suppliers.

The prospect of it collapsing this week revived fears of the food crisis worsening and prices rising.

The prices of wheat, soybeans, corn and rapeseed fell sharply on global markets after Russia’s announcement, which allayed concerns about the growing unaffordability of food.

Andrey Sizov, head of the Russia-focused Sovecon agriculture consultancy, said Moscow’s decision was “quite an unexpected turnaround” but the deal remained shaky given uncertainty about whether it would be extended past its November 19 expiry.

A European diplomat briefed on the grain talks said Russian President Vladimir Putin was likely to use the need for an extension as a way to gain leverage and dominate the November 13-16 G20 summit in Indonesia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky credited Turkey and the United Nations for making it possible for ships to continue moving out of Ukrainian ports with cargoes after Russia suspended participation on Saturday.

In an interview with Turkish broadcaster ATV, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he and Zelenskiy discussed sending grain to African countries.

President Putin had earlier proposed sending grain to countries such as Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan first, where it is badly needed.

The July 22 grains deal aimed to help avert famine in poorer countries by injecting more wheat, sunflower oil and fertiliser into world markets.

Russia suspended its involvement in the deal saying it could not guarantee safety for civilian ships crossing the Black Sea after an attack on its fleet.

Ukraine and Western countries called that a false pretext for “blackmail”, using threats to the global food supply.

Eight months into the war, Ukrainian forces have wrested back territory in the east and south, and Moscow has sought to slow their momentum with stepped-up missile and drone strikes targeting the energy grid.

On Wednesday, authorities in the capital Kyiv region began emergency shutdowns of the power-generating system after a spike in consumption, the regional administration said.

The move was necessary to “avoid major accidents with power equipment”  after Russian attacks badly damaged the grid in and around the capital.

Russia has said it targeted infrastructure as part of what it calls its “special military operation” to degrade the Ukrainian military and remove what it says is a potential threat against its own security.

As a result, Ukrainian civilians have endured power cuts and reduced water supplies across the country in recent weeks.

Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians.

In southern Kherson region, where Ukrainian forces are proceeding slowly with a counteroffensive against Russian occupying forces, Russian-installed authorities proceeded with a drive to persuade residents to evacuate, a Wednesday night statement on Facebook by the Ukrainian military said.

Meanwhile, in Washington on Wednesday the United States said it had information that indicated North Korea was covertly supplying Russia with a “significant” number of artillery shells for its war in Ukraine.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby did not provide evidence but he told a virtual briefing that North Korea was attempting to obscure the shipments by funnelling them through countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

– AAP

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