Peskov: blowing up the ammonia pipeline will complicate the situation with the grain deal

Undermining by the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG) of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline, which appeared in the second part of the grain deal, complicates the situation with its extension. This was announced by the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov.

“You know that this topic figured as an integral part of the half of the deal that concerned us. Therefore, let’s put it this way: this is another moment that complicates the situation in terms of continuing the deal,” he said.

Peskov also noted that Russia does not know what damage is on the ammonia pipeline and what the Ukrainian side is going to do with it next. According to him, the blowing up of the ammonia pipeline “can only have a negative impact” on the fate of the grain deal.

On June 7, the Ministry of Defense reported that the Ukrainian DRG on the evening of June 5 undermined ammonia pipeline Tolyatti – Odessa in the Masyutovka area of ​​the Kharkov region. As a result of the incident, Russian servicemen were not injured, but there are wounded among the civilian population. They have been provided with all the necessary medical care, the department stressed.

As part of the discussion of the grain deal, Russia put forward a demand for the resumption of operation of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline, which is designed to transport up to 2.5 million tons of ammonia per year. This is one of the conditions for the further extension of the grain deal. After that, Kyiv put forward its own conditions for the resumption of the transit of Russian ammonia through its territory, Reuters wrote. In particular, among the conditions is the expansion of the grain deal for a greater number of goods and ports. The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that in this way the terms of the deal cannot be expanded.

The grain deal was concluded on July 22, 2022 by representatives of Turkey and the UN, on the one hand, and representatives of Russia and Ukraine, on the other. Separate agreements were concluded with Moscow and Kiev: the first was for the export of Ukrainian grain from three ports, including Odessa, Yuzhny and Chernomorsk, and the second was for assistance in the export of Russian grain and fertilizers. Moscow has repeatedly noted that the second part of the deal is not being implemented. Now the grain deal has been extended until July 17.