Ankara: Russia has gotten in touch with the Turkish government and said that it had "absolutely nothing" to do with the attack on Ukraine's Odesa port on Saturday.
Ukraine has claimed that the Odesa port, the key to the grain export deal signed by both Ukraine and Russia, was struck by two Russian missiles. Officials of Kyiv said two other missiles were intercepted by their forces.
Turkey's defence minister said that Russian officials told Ankara that Moscow had nothing to do with the attack. "They said they were examining the issue very closely and in detail," said Hulusai Akar.
In the grain deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, Russia had agreed that it will not attack Ukrainian ships carrying grain. The attack on Odesa, where grain is stored and processed for export, created uncertainty over the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Ukraine had claimed that this is a sign that Russia will not let the deal be implemented. Turkey's defence minister said that the fact such an incident took place right after the agreement we made really worried us, reported Reuters.
The United States condemned the attack. Secretary Antony Blinken tweeted that the missile strike undermines the effort to bring food to the hungry and the credibility of Russia's commitments to the deal finalised to allow Ukrainian exports.
The UN's plans to ease the market crisis created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine are also in favour of the export of Russian food and fertilisers. The deal is expected to stabilise food prices across the world.
Before the signing of the deal, UN chief António Guterres said it is a "beacon of hope, possibility, and relief on the Black Sea." He later condemned the missile strike on Odesa port.
Ukraine is one of the leading grain exporters and supplies over 45 million tonnes of grain to the global market every year. The supply chain issues triggered by Moscow's attack have led to record food and fuel prices across the world.
The UN thinks the new deal will bring the food prices down in developing nations that are on the edge of famine and bankruptcy.