Russia's suspension over the weekend of its participation in the UN-brokered deal to move Ukrainian grain threatens to deepen a global food crisis. Meanwhile, 80 percent of Kyiv residents were without access to water Monday following what Ukraine called 'massive' Russian missile strikes. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).
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10:09pm: Russia is not ending participation in grain export deal, just suspending it, says Putin
Russia is not ending its participation in a deal to export much-needed Ukrainian grain through Black Sea ports but rather is suspending it, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.
Putin's comments were his first since Moscow announced on Saturday it was freezing participation in the United Nations-brokered Black Sea agreement after what it said was a major Ukrainian drone attack on its fleet in Crimea.
"We are not saying that we are ceasing our participation in this operation. No, we are saying that we are suspending it," Putin told a televised news conference.
Putin said the Ukrainian drones had traveled through the same corridors the grain ships used.
"And thus they created a threat both to our ships, which must ensure the safety of grain exports, and to the civilian ships that are engaged in this," he said. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
9:20pm: Putin calls on Ukraine to ensure safety of maritime traffic
Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Monday for Kyiv to guarantee the safety of maritime traffic after Moscow pulled out of a grain shipment deal, alleging Ukraine misused a safe shipping corridor for grain.
"Ukraine must guarantee that there will be no threat to the safety of civilian vessels," Putin told a press conference, accusing Kyiv of using the grain corridor for an attack on Russia's Crimea fleet, which prompted Moscow to suspend an agreement on Ukrainian food exports.
8:32pm: IAEA's Ukraine inspections to address Russia's 'dirty bomb' accusations have begun
The UN atomic watchdog has started its inspections of two nuclear sites in Ukraine being carried out at Kyiv's request to address Russian accusations that it is working on a so-called 'dirty bomb', the watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday.
"Director General Grossi said IAEA inspectors had begun – and would soon complete – verification activities at (the) two locations in Ukraine," the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement, adding that Grossi would "later this week provide his initial conclusions" about the inspections.
7:53pm: US accuses Russia of 'collective extortion' over Ukraine grain demands
The United States on Monday accused Russia of extortion at the expense of the developing world after it demanded Ukrainian security guarantees on its Crimea fleet for preserving a secure corridor to export grain.
"What you're describing appears to be either collective punishment or collective extortion," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
"It is not an issue between any two countries on the face of the earth. This is an urgent imperative" for developing countries, he said.
"Moscow's suspension of the initiative would be tantamount to collective punishment for the rest of the world, but especially lower- and middle-income countries that so desperately need this grain."
Price voiced alarm that global food prices have already risen because of uncertainty over the grain initiative, which had been negotiated by the United Nations and Turkey.
6:40pm: Russia says movement of ships in Black Sea corridor is 'unacceptable'
Russia said on Monday it was "unacceptable" for shipping to pass through a Black Sea security corridor after it suspended its participation in a Turkish- and UN-brokered deal that had allowed Ukraine to resume grain exports.
"The movement of ships along the security corridor is unacceptable, since the Ukrainian leadership and the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine use it to conduct military operations against the Russian Federation," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
6:11pm: Putin looks to reassert role in talks with Armenia, Azerbaijan
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host talks with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday, as Moscow seeks to reassert its role as a key powerbroker between the Caucasus arch-foes.
The talks in the southern Russian city of Sochi will be held as Western engagement grows in the volatile Caucasus region, where Russia – distracted by its war in Ukraine – is palpably losing influence after decades of domination.
The initiative comes a month after the worst clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan since their war in 2020.
The Kremlin said the talks will focus on implementing agreements reached in talks under Russia's mediation last year and "further steps to strengthen stability and security" in the region.
5:38pm: Vessels move as Turkey fights to save Ukraine grain deal after Russian pull-out
Cargo ships loaded with grain and other agricultural products left Ukrainian ports on Monday despite Russia's decision to pull out from a landmark deal designed to ease the global food crisis.
As one of the brokers of the grain deal, Turkey has stepped up diplomacy with the two warring countries in a bid to save it as Russia warned that continuing to enforce the agreement without its participation would be "dangerous".
At least 10 ships including the Ikaria Angel – chartered by the World Food Programme and loaded with 30,000 tonnes of wheat destined for an emergency response in the Horn of Africa – left Ukrainian ports on Monday, according to a website that tracks marine traffic.
"Civilian cargo ships can never be a military target or held hostage. The food must flow," Amir M. Abdulla, the UN Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, tweeted on Monday.
In all, 12 ships were due to leave Ukrainian ports on Monday and four more were due to head to the country, according to the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) that has been overseeing the agreement brokered by Turkey and the UN.
5:15pm: No ships were in Black Sea grain corridor on night Russia says it was attacked: UN aid chief
UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Monday that there were no ships involved in a UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal transiting a maritime humanitarian corridor on the night of Oct. 29, when Russia says its vessels in the Bay of Sebastopol in Crimea were attacked.
4:49pm: Moldova declares Russian embassy representative persona non grata
Moldova declared a representative of the Russian embassy in the capital Chisinau persona non grata on Monday, the foreign ministry said.
It did not identify the person in a statement that cited security risks posed by "missile attacks on a neighbouring country" and "increasing threats to the energy security of Moldova" from Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.
Moldova's interior ministry said earlier on Monday that missile debris had landed in a northern Moldovan village after a Russian attack on Ukraine.
4:42pm: Russian, Turkish defence ministers discuss grain deal suspension
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu spoke Monday to his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar about Russia's suspension of the deal that allowed the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports halted by the offensive.
"Questions about the suspension, by the Russian side, of the implementation of the agreement on the export of agricultural products from Ukrainian ports as part of the 'Black Sea Grain Initiative' were discussed," the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram.
3:52pm: Ukraine's grain exports down 16.4 percent in October
Ukraine's grain exports fell to 4.22 million tonnes in October 2022 from 5.05 million tonnes in the same month of the previous year, the agriculture ministry said on Monday.
The ministry said this month's volume included 1.9 million tonnes of wheat, almost 2 million tonnes of corn and 313,000 tonnes of barley.
It said Ukraine had exported a total of 12.9 million tonnes of grain so far in the July 2022 to June 2023 season versus 19.4 million tonnes in the same period of 2021/22.
2:22pm: Ukrainian officials still working to reconnect power and water following Russian strikes
A massive barrage of Russian strikes on Monday morning hit critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities, knocking out water and power supplies in an apparent retaliation for what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea Fleet over the weekend. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports from Ukraine.
2:05pm: Ukraine water, power cuts after 'massive' Russian missile attack
Ukraine suffered sweeping blackouts and water supplies were cut for 80 percent of Kyiv residents on Monday after what Ukrainian officials called another "massive" Russian missile attack on energy facilities.
The Ukrainian army said "more than 50" cruise missiles were launched at targets across the country, days after Russia blamed Ukraine for drone attacks on its fleet in the Black Sea.
The army said many missiles were shot down by air defences but Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said they had caused power cuts in "hundreds" of areas across seven Ukrainian regions.
Several blasts were heard in the capital Kyiv.
1:38pm: Russia summons Dutch ambassador over alleged recruitment attempt by British intelligence
Russia's foreign ministry on Monday summoned the Dutch ambassador to protest at what it said was an attempt by British intelligence to recruit the Russian military attache at the Russian embassy in The Hague.
In a statement, the foreign ministry called on the Dutch authorities to prevent "countries that the Netherlands calls its allies" from taking such "unfriendly" actions.
1:28pm: Ukraine grain exports resume as Turkey fights to save deal
Cargo ships loaded with grain and other agricultural products left Ukrainian ports on Monday despite Russia's decision to pull out from a landmark deal designed to ease a global food crisis.
As one of the brokers of the grain deal, Turkey has stepped up diplomacy with the two warring countries in a bid to save it as Russia warned that continuing to enforce the agreement without its participation would be "dangerous".
At least 10 ships including the Ikaria Angel -- chartered by the World Food Programme and loaded with 30,000 tonnes of wheat destined for an emergency response in the Horn of Africa -- left Ukrainian ports on Monday, according to a website that tracks marine traffic.
1:11pm: Norway military sharpens security in response to Ukraine war
Norway's military will sharpen the country's security from November 1 in response to the war in Ukraine, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday.
11:07am: Shot-down Russian missile fell on Moldova village
The Moldovan government said a Russian missile shot down by Ukrainian air defences fell on a village in northern Moldova on Monday, but without causing any injuries.
The country's interior ministry said the missile fell on the village of Naslavcea close to the Ukrainian border, destroying the windows of several homes, but that "no casualties" were recorded.
10:07am: Erdogan says Turkey to continue grain deal efforts after Russia hesitates
Turkey will continue its efforts for the Black Sea grain export deal despite Russian hesitancy, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday after Russia suspended its participation in the initiative at the weekend.
"Even if Russia behaves hesitantly because it didn't receive the same benefits, we will continue decisively our efforts to serve humanity," Erdogan said in a speech.
Separately, a UN spokesperson said the first of 40 planned ship inspections on Monday had been completed in Istanbul waters with a team of just UN and Turkish members, rather than the previous four-member teams including Russians and Ukrainians before Moscow's suspension.
9:47am: Record agricultural volumes leave Ukraine ports on Monday
A record volume of 354,500 tonnes of agricultural products was carried on vessels leaving Ukrainian ports on Monday as part of the Black Sea grain deal, a spokesperson for Odesa's military administration said.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, withdrew from the Black Sea deal on Saturday for an "indefinite term" because it said it could not "guarantee safety of civilian ships" travelling under the pact after an attack on its vessels.
9:42am: Twelve vessels leave Ukrainian ports under Black Sea grain deal, Kyiv says
Twelve vessels embarked from Ukrainian ports on Monday under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minster Oleksandr Kubrakov said.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, halted its role in the Black Sea deal on Saturday for an "indefinite term" because it could said it could not "guarantee safety of civilian ships" travelling under the pact after an attack on its Black Sea fleet.
"Today 12 ships left Ukrainian ports. @UN & Turkish delegations provide 10 inspection teams to inspect 40 ships aiming to fulfil the #BlackSeaGrainInitiative. This inspection plan has been accepted by the Ukrainian delegation. The Russian delegation has been informed," Kubrakov wrote on Twitter.
9:32am: Ukraine says targeted by 'more than 50' missiles from Russia
Ukraine said it was targeted by "more than 50" cruise missiles from Russia on Monday morning, resulting in power cuts across several regions.
"From 7am on October 31, Russian occupiers carried out several waves of missile attacks against critical infrastructure in Ukraine," the Ukrainian army said on Telegram, adding that "more than 50 X-101/X-555 cruise missiles were launched" from Russia.
8:38am: 'Massive attack' by Russia on Ukraine energy facilities
Ukraine on Monday accused Russia of another "massive attack" on the country's energy infrastructure, after officials announced power and water supply cuts in the capital.
"Russian terrorists have again launched a massive attack against electricity installations in a number of Ukrainian regions," said the deputy head of Ukraine's presidency, Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
8:33am: France working on land route for Ukrainian crops
France is working towards allowing Ukraine to export food supplies via land routes rather than by the Black Sea through Poland or Romania, the French farming minister said on Monday, after Russia withdrew from a crucial export deal amid its war with Ukraine.
"We are looking to see whether, if it cannot pass through the Black Sea, if it can instead pass through overland routes, (...) in particular by looking at land routes through Romania and Poland," Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau told RMC Radio.
"We will continue to work towards a system which does not put us in the hands and the good will, or in this case the bad will, of Vladimir Putin," said Fesneau, referring to the Russian president.
7:57am: Power out in Kyiv after Russia strikes
Russian strikes early Monday knocked out electricity and water in parts of Kyiv, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital said.
"An area of Kyiv is without electricity and certain areas without water following Russian strikes," Vitali Klitschko wrote on the Telegram messaging service.
7:21am: Series of blasts heard in Kyiv, Reuters witnesses say
A series of blasts were heard in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Monday morning, according to Reuters witnesses in the city, while regional authorities in northern, eastern and central Ukraine also reported missile strikes.
Russia has stepped up missile attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks after blaming Kyiv for the explosion which damaged the Crimea bridge.
Smoke could be seen rising above Kyiv after about 10 explosions, witnesses said.
6:35am: US, China discuss relations, war in Ukraine
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the rivalry between the two superpowers and Russia's war in Ukraine in a call Sunday, the State Department said.
The top diplomats talked about the need to "responsibly manage the competition between our two countries," Blinken said in a tweet.
They also discussed the need for Beijing and Washington to keep open lines of communications as well as the war in Ukraine, the US State Department said.
"The Secretary discussed the need to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the US-PRC relationship," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement, adding Blinken "raised Russia's war against Ukraine and the threats it poses to global security and economic stability."
5:50am: World food supplies at risk as Russia withdraws from grain export deal
Russia’s weekend backtrack from a UN-brokered deal to export Black Sea grains is likely to hit shipments to import-dependent countries, deepening a global food crisis and sparking gains in prices.
Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of wheat booked for delivery to Africa and the Middle East are at risk following Russia’s withdrawal, while Ukrainian corn exports to Europe will take a hit, two Singapore-based traders said.
Russia on Saturday suspended participation in the UN grain deal for an “indefinite term”, after what it said was a major Ukrainian drone attack on its Black Sea fleet in Crimea.
Earlier this year global wheat prices jumped to an all-time high and corn hit a 10-year top as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine added fuel to a rally set off by adverse weather and Covid-19 supply disruptions.
Australia, a key wheat supplier to Asia, is unlikely to be able to fill any supply gap, with shipping slots booked right up to February, traders said.
2:57am: Putin to hold talks with Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host talks with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan Monday, a month after the worst clashes erupted between the Caucasus foes since they went to war in 2020.
The summit with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev also comes eight months into Putin's Ukraine offensive that has made some of Russia's allies nervous. The trio will meet on Putin's initiative in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
The Kremlin said they will focus on discussing the implementation of agreements reached in talks under Russia's mediation last year and "further steps to strengthen stability and security" in the region.
Putin will also hold talks with each leader alone, Moscow said.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and REUTERS)
