After Russia rejected a request for an extension, the agreement allowing Ukraine to ship grain to international markets securely over the Black Sea terminated at midnight in Istanbul (2100 GMT).
The agreement, negotiated by the UN and Turkey in July 2022 to prevent food shortages in vulnerable nations, was last extended for two months in May, at which point the deadline was established.
The Kremlin announced on Monday that it was pulling out of the agreement after months of complaining about its execution.
“The grain deal has ended. As soon as the Russian part (of the agreements) are fulfilled, the Russian side will immediately return,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Despite Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that his country was ready to continue exporting grain via the Black Sea.
“We are not afraid. We have been approached by companies that own ships. They said that they are ready” to continue shipments, Zelensky said.
A few hours prior to Moscow’s statement, drones attacked the single bridge that connected the Russian mainland to the occupied Crimea peninsula, a vital supply route for Russian forces in the south of Ukraine.
The “special operation” was carried out by the Kyiv navy and SBU security service using seaborne drones, a security service source told AFP.
Authorities in Russia reported that a civilian couple was killed and their daughter was injured in the attack on the Kerch bridge, which was also harmed by an explosion Moscow attributed to Kyiv last year.
Moscow said that the strike was unrelated to its decision to leave the grain agreement.
