Current Affairs

Putin vows response after 'terrorist' attack on Crimea bridge

July 18, 2023
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Summary

  1. President Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine for a "senseless" and "cruel" attack on the Crimea bridge, which links the occupied peninsula to Russia
  2. He vows to respond to what he calls a "terrorist" act early on Monday morning, in which two people were killed
  3. Russia earlier claimed the attack involved the "direct participation" of American and British intelligence and politicians
  4. Kyiv has not officially said it was responsible but a source in Ukraine's security service tells BBC Russian it was behind the attack
  5. Meanwhile, the UN chief says Russia's decision to exit a grain deal with Ukraine will "strike a blow to people in need everywhere"
  6. Antonio Guterres says he "deeply regrets" Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea grain export deal, which expires tonight
  7. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Kyiv is prepared to continue the deal even without Russia's participation
     

      • Today's developments in the conflict in Ukraine centred on two significant aspects: an explosion on a Crimean bridge and Russia's withdrawal from the Ukraine grain deal.

        The day started with reports of an blast on the bridge linking the occupied Crimean Peninsula to Russia, and by evening, President Putin had vowed to respond to what he claimed was a "terrorist" act by Ukraine. Kyiv has not officially claimed responsibility for the blast.

        Meanwhile, today also marked the looming expiry of the Black Sea grain deal, which Russia had confirmed its exit from by lunchtime in Moscow.

        We're pausing our live coverage now, but there's still plenty to read across BBC News, including the full story on the Crimea bridge blast and Russia's withdrawal from the grain deal, as well as an explainer on why it's not renewing the deal with Ukraine.

        Today's page was edited by Jack Burgess and myself, and written by Emily Atkinson, Adam Durbin, Ali Abbas Ahmadi, Ece Goksedef and Oliver Slow. Thanks for joining us.

      • What happened today

        There were two major developments dominating our live coverage of the Ukraine conflict today. Here's a round up of the key events:

        This morning brought news of an blast on the bridge linking occupied Crimea to Russia...

        Crimea bridge
        MaxarCopyright: Maxar
        • Russia blamed Ukraine for the damage - also claiming Western officials had directly participated
        • Two Russians going on a family holiday were killed, a local governor claimed
        • Vladimir Putin vowed he would respond to the attack, calling it "cruel" and "senseless"
        • A source in Ukraine's security service told BBC Russian it was behind the incident - although Kyiv has not officially said it was responsible
        • The source also said water-based drones were used

        We later learned Russian would not extend the Black Sea grain export deal...

        A grain silo in Ukraine
        ReutersCopyright: Reuters
        • The UN Secretary General says Russia's decision to exit the deal will "strike a blow to people in need everywhere"
        • The US Ambassador to the UN accused Russia of "holding humanity hostage"
        • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was prepared to continue the deal even without Russia's participation
        • Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was no link between the blast on the Crimean bridge and its decision to exit the deal

    • Blinken calls for urgent restoration of grain deal

      Russia's decision not to extend its participation in the Black Sea grain deal is "unconscionable", US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

      Speaking to reporters in Washington, he accuses Russia of "weaponising food", making it "harder to come by in places that desperately need it", and pushing up prices.

      He urges Russia to restore the deal as quickly as possible.

      Blinken also notes that the US government is monitoring the situation after an overnight blast on the bridge connecting occupied Crimea to southern Russia.

      It is up to Ukraine to decide how it conducts the war, he adds.

    • 'One broken Russian bridge, fewer broken Ukrainian lives' - foreign minister

      Ukraine's foreign minister has not commented directly on who was behind the explosion on the bridge linking annexed Crimea to Russia - but indicated it could be of benefit to Ukraine.

      Speaking on US programme CBS mornings, Dmytro Kuleba said he learned of the incident from the news due to the time difference.

      "The truth is that one broken Russian bridge means fewer broken Ukrainian lives," he said.

      He claimed the bridge was being used to bring additional supplies to the Russian army in Crimea and other parts of southern Ukraine.

      This evening, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said the bridge has not been used for months to supply Russia forces fighting in Ukraine.

    • In pictures: The damage to the Crimea bridge

      New satellite images have been released showing the damage caused to the bridge linking Moscow to annexed Crimea.

      The explosion on the bridge over the Kerch Strait killed two people in a car and dislodged a section of road.

      Damaged bridge over Kerch strait, Crimea
      MaxarCopyright: Maxar
      Damaged bridge over Kerch strait, Crimea
      MaxarCopyright: Maxar

    • Where exactly did the Crimea bridge explosion take place?

      Olga Robinson

      BBC Verify

      BBC Verify has pinpointed the exact location of the deadly incident.

      We did this by matching up visual clues in several verified videos from today (such as street lamps) with old dashcam footage of vehicles crossing the bridge.

      We then checked our findings using a satellite map of the bridge on Google to confirm the location.

      The site of today’s incident is much closer to Russia’s mainland than the October attack from last year, which left significant damage.

      Satellite map showing the Kerch bridge, with points marking the October 2022 attack and this morning's attack.

    • Putin vows to respond to bridge blast

      More from Vladimir Putin now, who has vowed to respond to the overnight attack on the bridge over the Kerch strait.

      Addressing senior officials at the end of a televised meeting, he calls the blast a cruel and senseless act - and pins the blame on Kyiv.

      "Of course, there will be a response from Russia. The defence ministry is preparing relevant proposals," he says.

      Putin also claims the bridge had not been used for months to supply Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

      Kyiv has not officially said it was responsible for the attack, but a source in Ukraine's security service told BBC Russian it was behind the explosion and that water-based drones were used.

    • Putin vows to respond to bridge blast

      More from Vladimir Putin now, who has vowed to respond to the overnight attack on the bridge over the Kerch strait.

      Addressing senior officials at the end of a televised meeting, he calls the blast a cruel and senseless act - and pins the blame on Kyiv.

      "Of course, there will be a response from Russia. The defence ministry is preparing relevant proposals," he says.

      Putin also claims the bridge had not been used for months to supply Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

      Kyiv has not officially said it was responsible for the attack, but a source in Ukraine's security service told BBC Russian it was behind the explosion and that water-based drones were used.

    • BREAKINGPutin calls attack on Crimea bridge 'terrorist act'

      Vladimir Putin
      ReutersCopyright: Reuters

      President Vladimir Putin is calling for tougher security following an overnight attack on a bridge linking Russia to Crimea - the Ukrainian peninsula illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.

      Speaking at a televised meeting with officials, he describes the destruction of the bridge as a "terrorist act" that had caused serious damage.

      He adds that he awaits specific proposals to improve the security of "this strategic, important transport facility".

    • What's been happening today?

      Grain ship and Crimea bridge composite
      EPA/REUTERSCopyright: EPA/REUTERS

      For anyone in need of a catch up, here's a quick round up of the two key events we've been covering today:

      Black Sea grain deal

      • Russia has confirmed it will not extend the Black Sea grain export deal, which expires tonight
      • The deal had guaranteed the safe passage of vital food and fertiliser supplies from Russia and Ukraine
      • Russia has been accused by the UK of using "food as a weapon", while the UN has issued dire warnings about global food shortages
      • There are fears the poorest people and countries will be worst hit, as they will struggle to cope with rising prices of grains
      • Moscow says it has pulled out for failures to honour parts of the deal relating to Russia

      Crimean bridge attack

      • The bridge linking the occupied Crimean peninsula and Russia was attacked and damaged in an explosion overnight
      • The attack killed two people and injured their teenage daughter, Russian authorities say
      • Kremlin officials have accused Ukraine's navy and special forces of launching a "terrorist attack" on the bridge using a naval "surface drone"
      • Kyiv has not officially said it was responsible, but a Ukrainian security service source has told BBC Russian it was behind the attack, and said that water-based drones were used
      • Traffic has closed on the bridge and there are long traffic jams on routes out of Crimea through other Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine

    • 'Poor people and poor countries hardest hit' - WTO

      We can bring you some comments from the World Trade Organization (WTO) now on Russia's withdrawal from the Ukraine grain deal.

      The head of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, says she's "deeply disappointed" by the end of the Black Sea grain deal, which she described as essential to ensuring the stability of global food prices.

      "Black Sea trade in food, feed and fertilizer is critical to the stability of global food prices," she tweeted.

      "Sad to say that poor people and poor countries are hardest hit. Let's keep hope alive on renewal."

    • WATCH: ‘Ukraine used to be the breadbasket of Europe'

      Ukraine is a major global exporter of sunflower, maize, wheat and barley.

      More than half of the wheat grain procured by the World Food Programme (WFP) last year came from there.

      But, when Russia invaded in February 2022 Ukraine’s Black Sea ports were blocked by Kremlin warships.

      Back in May, when the last deal was up for renewal, WFP head Cindy McCain told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg it would be difficult to feed the world if Russia pulled out of the deal.

      You can watch below as she lays out the importance of Ukraine’s grain exports.

    • Russia's withdrawal from grain deal 'expected' - Ukrainian Grain Association

      Nikolay Gorbachev, the president of the Ukrainian Grain Association, has told the BBC that Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain export deal did not come as a surprise.

      He says Russia’s withdrawal was “expected” and Ukrainians have started to prepare a separate deal, with senior ministers in touch with ship owners who are willing to export the country’s grain.

      "I am sure that we will find a way out to feed the world,” Gorbachev says.

      He adds that his members have identified alternative means of exporting grain - including through its Danube River ports.

      But he conceded that the ports would be less efficient, reducing the amount of grain Ukraine can export and raising the cost of moving it.

    • What is the Ukraine grain deal?

      On 22 July 2022, Russia and Ukraine signed the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

      The agreement was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey and the first grain shipments started early the following month. Grain prices rose sharply last year after the Russian invasion hindered Ukraine's exports.

      The deal allows cargo ships pass safely through the Black Sea, along a corridor 310 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide, to and from the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi.

      This is the route:

      Grain deal shipping route
      .

    • Poorest to be worst hit by grain deal collapse, expert says

      Saint-Kitts-and-Nevis-flagged bulker TK Majestic carrying grain under the UN's Black Sea Grain Initiative
      ReutersCopyright: Reuters

      The poorest countries will be worst hit by the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal, a senior figure overseeing global food trade has told the BBC.

      Arnaud Petit, the head of the International Grains Council, says higher wheat prices are particularly bad for developing nations as they will not necessarily have the money available to compensate for rising costs.

      Ukraine has transported around 32 million tonnes of grain and other food since the deal was agreed last year, while the UN has estimated 44 million people worldwide are facing "emergency levels of hunger" if the deal is blocked again.

      Asked whether he thought a renewal of the deal was likely, Petit says it's important to bear in mind another part of the negotiations around fertiliser trade.

      He adds this is an area where there is room for agreement, as Russia is facing issues exporting its fertilisers used in food production worldwide.

      EU reaction to Russia's suspension of grain deal

      We've also been getting some reaction from the European Union after Russia officially confirmed that it will not be renewing the Black Sea grain export deal.

      The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has described the announcement as "completely unjustified" and he has accused Russia of "weaponising the hunger of the people".

      Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, says she "strongly condemn Russia’s cynical move to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative", adding that the EU "is working to ensure food security for the world’s vulnerable".

      President of the European Council Charles Michel has shared his support for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's efforts to make sure that the agreement, which expires tonight, will continue.

      “The support from the EU for Ukraine is very firm and very clear and it will never change," Michel stressed, and said he was very proud that the vast majority of Latin American countries have voted in favour of the resolution condemning Russia.

    • BREAKINGUN chief 'deeply regrets' Russian withdrawal from grain deal

      UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that he "deeply regrets" the Russian decision to pull out of the Black Sea grain deal, “including the withdrawal of Russian security guarantees of navigation in the north-western part of the Black Sea”.

      Speaking from UN headquarters in New York, he said: "Today's decision by the Russian Federation will strike a blow to people in need everywhere.

      "Hundreds of millions of people face hunger and consumers are confronting a global cost-of-living crisis. They will pay the price."

      He said that the suspension of the deal means a related pact between the UN and Moscow to help facilitate Russia's grain and fertilizer exports was also terminated. "Our main focus will be advancing global food security and global food price stability," he added.

    • Russia using food as weapon, UK says

      Russia must recommit to full implementation of the Black Sea grain deal, the UK's Foreign Office has said.

      The British ministry has accused the Kremlin of preventing grain from reaching those who need it most, using "food as a weapon" and calling off the agreement unilaterally.

      Quote Message: The UK condemns Russia’s blatant attempt to harm the most vulnerable as part of its illegal war. Russia must renew the BSGI [Black Sea grain initiative] and commit to its full implementation." from Foreign Office spokesperson

      The UK condemns Russia’s blatant attempt to harm the most vulnerable as part of its illegal war. Russia must renew the BSGI [Black Sea grain initiative] and commit to its full implementation."

      Foreign Office spokesperson

    • Russia 'holding humanity hostage' with grain deal exit

      United Nations headquarters, New York
      ReutersCopyright: Reuters

      Russia's decision to withdraw from the Ukraine grain deal is an "act of cruelty", says the United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

      Speaking to reporters at the UN's headquarters in New York, Linda Thomas-Greenfield also accuses Moscow of holding "humanity hostage".

      "While Russia plays political games, real people will suffer," she adds.

      Meanwhile, China's UN ambassador, Zhang Jun, says he hopes all parties could find a way forward, referring specifically to concerns expressed by Moscow.

      Ukraine prepared to continue grain exports - Zelensky

    • Abdujalil Abdurasulov

      Reporting from Kyiv

      In his reaction to Russia's decision to pull out of the grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea, President Zelensky has issued a reminder that there were two agreements that mirrored each other involving the UN and Turkey.

      One of them was signed by Russia along with the other participants of the initiative that brokered the deal - UN and Turkey. And the other one was signed separately by Ukraine with the same actors except Russia.

      Zelensky expressed Ukraine's desire to continue the deal even without Russia's participation.

      "We are not afraid. We were approached by companies who own vessels and they're willing to continue shipping grain if Ukraine agrees to let them in and Turkey - to pass them through," he said.

    • Stranded Russians urged to return through occupied Ukraine

      Russian officials have encouraged holidaymakers stranded in Crimea to drive home through occupied Ukraine following this morning’s attack on the bridge linking Russia with Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014.

      Residents and visitors to the peninsula should "refrain from travel on the Crimea bridge" and "choose an alternative route through the new regions,” the Russian-installed head of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov has said.

      Russian state television showed a map of the proposed route, through the occupied city of Melitopol, to the port city of Mariupol and onwards to the Russian city of Rostov. It reminded people to take their passports with them.

      Officials have said they would reduce curfew times to let tourists through and the Russian army would keep the route “safe”. Those making the journey have also been advised to give way to army vehicles and columns and to carry cash with them.

      Commercial flights between Russia and Crimea – a popular holiday destination for Russians since Moscow annexed it in 2014 – have been suspended since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

      A graphic showing areas of Russian military control in Ukraine
      .Copyright: .

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