MOSCOW, RUSSIA — Blast damage to an idled pipeline that had been used to export Russian ammonia via Ukraine could impact the fate of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is due for renewal on July 17, Reuters reported.

The Togliatti-Odesa pipeline, which once pumped up to 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia annually for global export to Ukraine’s Pivdennyi port on the Black Sea from Togliatti in western Russia, has sat unused since the start of the war in February 2022. Russia has wanted it restarted as part of its negotiations on extending the Black Sea grain deal.

Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the blast damage to the pipeline.

Asked by reporters about how the damaged pipeline could affect the fate of the Black Sea grain deal, Reuters reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “It can only have a negative impact,” while describing it as “yet another complication in terms of extending the deal.”

Russia has threatened to walk away from the Black Sea grain deal on July 17 if demands to improve its own food and fertilizer exports are not met.

The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022 and extended three times, facilitates the “safe navigation” of grain, foodstuffs and fertilizers — including ammonia — for export to global markets. It has allowed the safe export of more than 30 million tonnes of agricultural products from Ukraine, via its Black Sea ports. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 had halted exports of critical commodities from the region, roiling global markets.

To help persuade Russia to allow Ukraine to resume its Black Sea grain exports last year, a separate three-year agreement also was struck in July in which the UN agreed to help Russia with its own food and fertilizer exports.

UN officials are continuing discussions with all the parties to the deal, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on June 8.

Dujarric said top UN trade official Rebeca Grynspan was due to meet with Russian officials in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 9 “as part of our routine contacts on our efforts to facilitate the trade in Russian fertilizer and Russian grain,” Reuters reported.