Moscow, 3 November 2022 (TDI): Russia has summoned the Ambassador of the United Kingdom (UK) to Russia, Deborah Bronnert over the claimed involvement of British specialists in a Ukrainian drone strike.
The Foreign Ministry of Russia claimed that Ukraine targeted its Black Sea Fleet in Crimea by employing drones. As a result, Russia terminated its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, on Saturday.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that the attack was carried out under the direction and supervision of British navy specialists. The UK has dismissed this claim to be false.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova shared with the reporters on Wednesday that “These actions were carried out under the guidance of British specialists.”
It has claimed a significant drone attack by Ukraine on ships in the Bay of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry shared that it “suspends participation in implementation of the “Black Sea Initiative” due to the Ukrainian strikes against the Russian ships that were ensuring the safety of the humanitarian sea route used for grain exports.
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The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin also stated that “Russia reserves the right to withdraw from the ‘grain deal’ if the Ukrainian guarantees are breached.”
He further reiterated that “in this case, we stand ready to deliver the entire volume of grain that had been delivered from Ukraine to the poorest countries (4%) free of charge.”
However, it is noteworthy that the Russian Ministry of Defense “received written guarantees from the Ukrainian side on the non-use of the ‘grain corridor’ and Ukrainian ports for military purposes,” on 1 November.
Likewise, the Russian side considers the guarantees as adequate and resumes implementation of the ‘Black Sea Initiative’.”
In this context, Gennady Gatilov, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Office in Geneva also gave a statement in an interview.
He stated that “having curtailed the operation of the “grain corridor” on October 29 by attacking the ships that were ensuring its security, the Kiev regime has once again shoot itself and its Western patrons in the foot.”
Black Sea Grain Initiative
Grain exports from Ukraine as well as food and fertilizer exports from Russia have suffered significantly since the start of the Russia-Ukraine War.
The shortage of supplies increased already high prices even further and exacerbated the world food crisis. Consequently, the United Nations and Türkiye established the Black Sea Grain Initiative to restart important food and fertilizer exports from Ukraine to the rest of the world.
Ambassador Deborah Jane Bronnert
Deborah Jane Bronnert is a British diplomat who is currently British Ambassador to Russia at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
She was the British Ambassador to Zimbabwe from 2011–14. She took up the post of Ambassador to Russia in January 2020.
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