Senior politician says Russia should not renew grain deal after Crimea Bridge incident

A senior Russian politician said on Monday (17 July) that Russia should not renew the Black Sea grain deal in light of an attack on the bridge linking Russia to Crimea.

A mother and father were killed and their daughter was seriously injured on Monday by blasts on the Crimean Bridge in what Russian officials called an emergency incident.

Details were unclear but some Russian politicians were quick to blame Ukraine. There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian government.

Sergei Mironov, leader of the A Just Russia party in Russia's parliament, said Moscow should respond by destroying Ukrainian infrastructure.

"That is what we need to do, and not discuss a grain deal that helps Kyiv's rulers and their Western masters line their pockets. There can be no grain deal after another terrorist attack," he said on Telegram.

Russia agreed a year ago to sign the Black Sea grain deal which allowed Ukraine to resume shipping food from its southern ports despite the war.

But it has repeatedly cast doubt on whether it will agree to extend the arrangement, which expires on Monday.

The Kremlin has yet to comment on the Crimean Bridge incident or its possible implications for the grain deal.