Factbox: What is known about the drone attack on Crimea?

Russia has suspended its participation in the UN-brokered Black Sea grains deal following what it claimed was a Ukrainian drone strike on vessels in the Bay of Sevastopol early Saturday morning (29 October).

What is our current knowledge?

WHAT HAPPENED?

Russia claimed that 16 drones, both maritime and air, attacked Black Sea Fleet and civilian vessels in the Bay of Sevastopol, Crimea on Saturday at 0420 Kyiv. Russia claimed that all nine drones were destroyed.

Russia claimed that four of the seven drones were destroyed at the bay's outer perimeter, but that three more were inside.

The ministry reported that Russia had suffered minor damage to Ivan Golubets' minesweeper.

Reuters could not immediately verify the accounts of battlefield personnel.

Unverified footage from social media showed what appeared like maritime drones speeding across water in pursuit of a Russian battleship, while bullets were fired at them.

WHO RAN THE ATTACK?

Russia's defense ministry claimed that the attack was carried by Ukraine's Marine Special Operations Center (73rd Marine Special Operations Center) under the leadership and guidance of British navy experts in Ochakiv, on the Black Sea coast.

It claimed that the Nord Stream pipelines were attacked by personnel from the same British navy unit. It did not identify the source.

The claim was denied by Britain.

"To distract from their disastrous handling of illegal invasion of Ukraine," the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed.

"This latest invented story speaks more about the Russian government's arguments than it does about Europe."

Ukraine has not denied or confirmed the drone attack on Sevastopol, but has suggested that Russia did it so it could stop participating in the grain deal.

Andriy Yaermak, chief of staff to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, claimed that Russia had launched "fictitious terrorist acts on its facilities."

They have not provided any evidence from Russia or Ukraine.

WHERE DID THE DRONES COME OUT OF?

Russia claims it has found the wreckage of several of the maritime drones. It stated that it had examined the memory of the Canadian-made navigation units installed on the drones.

It stated that the maritime drones were launched from Odesa's coast and then moved through the grain corridor security zone, before entering the Bay of Sevastopol. This is the largest city in the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine.

According to the defense ministry, one of the drones was seen starting from the grain corridor's security zone.

The defense ministry stated that this could indicate the initial launch of the device from aboard one the civilian vessels chartered or sponsored by Western patrons to export agricultural products from the seaports in Ukraine.

WHAT HAPPENS TO GRAIN DEAL?

Russia has taken care not to abandon the deal.

The Russian foreign ministry stated that "the Russian side cannot ensure the safety of civilian dry cargo vessels participating in the Black Sea Initiative' and suspended its implementation from today onwards."

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