Kiev, 30 October 2022 (dpa/MIA) - Russia has halted a deal on allowing Ukraine to export grain from ports in the Black Sea after a Russian warship was damaged in the port city of Sevastopol during drone attacks on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula. The Russian Defence Ministry cited "terrorist attacks" on its Black Sea Fleet as the reason for suspending the agreement, which was reached three months ago to stem a global hunger crisis. Due to drone attacks on Russian ships from the protected corridor in the Black Sea, Russia "can not guarantee [the] safety of civilian ships travelling under the [Black Sea] initiative," Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia wrote to Guterres on Saturday. Because of the attacks, Moscow suspended the July agreement "for an indefinite term," he said in the letter made available to dpa. "Relevant instructions were given to Russian representatives at the Joint Coordination centre in Istanbul responsible for [the] implementation of the initiative," it added. A UN spokesman confirmed that the New York-based body was "in touch with the Russian authorities on this matter." "It is vital that all parties refrain from any action that would imperil the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is a critical humanitarian effort that is clearly having a positive impact on access to food for millions of people around the world," the spokesperson said. Ukraine's foreign minister said Russia was "using a false pretext" to stop the grain deal. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russia to keep the "essential, life-saving" exports functioning. "Any act by Russia to disrupt these critical grain exports is essentially a statement that people and families around the world should pay more for food or go hungry," Blinken said in a statement. "In suspending this arrangement, Russia is again weaponizing food in the war it started," Blinken said. The minesweeper known as Ivan Golubez as well as facilities in the bay were severely damaged in the attack on Saturday, the Russian Defence Ministry said. According to the ministry, the attacks were carried out by Ukraine under the guidance of British experts. A total of 16 drones reportedly targeted Sevastopol. Most of them were intercepted, the ministry said. The information could not be independently verified. Kiev did not initially comment on the reports. Ukraine has repeatedly declared its intention to retake Crimea, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014. The city of Sevastopol on the peninsula is important for Moscow as a base for the Black Sea Fleet. The peninsula has also been repeatedly rocked by explosions, for which Russia holds Ukraine responsible. Kiev is usually silent on the matter. On October 8, for example, the Kerch bridge between Russia and Crimea, which is important for the supply of Russia's invading troops in Ukraine, was severely damaged by an explosion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Russia to be expelled from the Group of 20 (G20) leading economies in the world due to the decision to suspend the agreement on grain exports. "Why can a handful of people somewhere in the Kremlin decide whether there will be food on the tables of people in Egypt or Bangladesh," Zelensky said in his evening video address. A strong response from both the United Nations and the G20 group was needed, he said. "Russia does not belong in the G20," Zelensky said. The next G20 summit is due to take place in mid-November in Indonesia. According to the Kremlin, it has not yet been decided whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend. EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders told German media on Saturday that he believed the war could lead to the indictment of Putin in an international court. It is not his task to recommend the prosecution of individuals, the Belgian politician told Saturday's edition of German newspaper the Hamburger Abendblatt. "But if prosecutors also want to start at the highest level, let them do it." Reynders said he was "quite sure" that the first war crimes trials at the International Criminal Court of Russians would start this year. The EU commissioner went on to say that the assets of the Russian state and oligarchs frozen by the West could help with reconstruction in Ukraine. For example, the West could keep €300 billion ($298.9 billion) from the Russian Central Bank's foreign exchange reserves as a guarantee "until Russia voluntarily participates in the reconstruction of Ukraine."