Diplomatic efforts salvaged that allowed Ukrainian grain and other commodities to reach world markets, with Russia saying Wednesday it would stick to the deal after Ukraine pledged not to use a designated Black Sea corridor to attack Russian forces.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow reserves the right to withdraw again from the agreement if Kyiv breaks its word.

含羞草研究社淲e demanded assurances and guarantees from the Ukrainian side that 含羞草研究社� humanitarian corridors will not be used for military purposes,含羞草研究社� Putin told a Security Council meeting, according to Russian state news agencies.

含羞草研究社淚 have given instructions to the Ministry of Defense to resume our full participation in this work,含羞草研究社� Putin said.

The Russian leader praised Turkey含羞草研究社檚 mediation efforts to get the deal back on track as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渘eutrality in the conflict as a whole含羞草研究社� and his efforts at 含羞草研究社渆nsuring the interest of the poorest countries.含羞草研究社�

Russia suspended its participation in the grain deal over the weekend, citing allegations of a Ukrainian drone attack against its Black Sea fleet in Crimea. Ukraine did not claim responsibility for the attack, which some Ukrainian officials blamed on Russian soldiers mishandling their own weapons.

Erdogan said the renewed deal would again come on stream Wednesday, prioritizing shipments to African nations, including , Djibouti and Sudan. That含羞草研究社檚 in line with Russia含羞草研究社檚 concerns that most of the exported grain had ended up in richer nations since Moscow and Kyiv made separate agreements with Turkey and the U.N. in July.

U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said Monday that 23% of the total cargo exported from Ukraine under the grain deal went to lower or lower-middle income countries, which also received 49% of all wheat shipments.

But Putin repeated earlier claims that 46% of the grain exported from the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi was bound for European Union countries instead of needier nations.

The U.N. and Turkey brokered separate deals with Russia and Ukraine in July to ensure Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia would receive grain and other food from the Black Sea region during Russia含羞草研究社檚 now eight-month-old war in Ukraine.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed Russia含羞草研究社檚 announcement putting the deal back on track. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres 含羞草研究社渞emains committed to removing the remaining obstacles to the exports of Russian food and fertilizer.含羞草研究社�

Ukraine and Russia are key barley, and other food to developing countries where many are already struggling with hunger. A loss of those supplies before the grain deal pushed up global food prices and helped , along with .

The July grain agreement about 15% from their peak in March, according to the U.N. After the announcement of Russia rejoining the deal, wheat futures prices erased the increases seen Monday, dropping more than 6% in Chicago.

At least a third of the grain shipped in the last three months was going to the Middle East and North Africa, while plenty of corn was sent to traditional buyer Europe, said Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington.

He added that more wheat was going to sub-Saharan Africa and Asian markets that have become increasingly important buyers of Ukrainian grain.

Meanwhile in Ukraine, thousands of homes in the Kyiv region and elsewhere remained without power, officials said Wednesday, as Russian drone and artillery strikes continued to

Kyiv region Gov. Oleksiy Kukeba said 16,000 homes were without electricity and drones attacked energy facilities in the Cherkasy region south of the capital, prompting power outages.

Although power and water were restored to the city of Kyiv, Kuleba didn含羞草研究社檛 rule out electricity shortages lasting 含羞草研究社渨eeks含羞草研究社� if Russian forces continue to hit energy facilities there. In a Telegram post, he accused Russian forces of trying to prompt a serious humanitarian crisis.

Power outages were also reported in the southern cities of Nikopol and Chervonohryhorivka following 含羞草研究社渁 large-scale drone attack,含羞草研究社� Dnipropetrovsk Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said.

The two cities are located across the Dniper River from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe含羞草研究社檚 largest nuclear facility. Russia and Ukraine have for months traded blame for shelling at and around the plant that the U.N.含羞草研究社檚 nuclear watchdog warned could cause a radiation emergency.

In a development easing such fears, Ukraine含羞草研究社檚 state nuclear company Energoatom said the Zaporizhzhia plant has been reconnected to the country含羞草研究社檚 power grid after Russian shelling forced the facility to rely on generators to cool its spent nuclear fuel.

Energoatom含羞草研究社檚 press service told the Associated Press in a written statement that some of the eight power lines serving the Russian-held plant have been restored, but wouldn含羞草研究社檛 specify the number citing fears of renewed Russian shelling.

With its six reactors inoperative, the plant relies on outside electricity to cool its spent fuel. Although Putin signed a decree transferring the plant to Russian ownership, Ukrainian staff continues to run it.

Energoatom has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of Russian from the plant and for the creation of a demilitarized zone around it.

The company also said Russian soldiers have cordoned off the plant含羞草研究社檚 spent nuclear fuel storage facility and began unspecified construction there. It alleged that inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, who have been present at the site since early September have been barred from the area.

含羞草研究社淭he Russians are building incomprehensible things at the nuclear fuel storage facility. They don含羞草研究社檛 let anyone in, they don含羞草研究社檛 report anything,含羞草研究社� the company said.

On a visit to Kyiv Wednesday, Spain含羞草研究社檚 Foreign Minister Jos茅 Albares pledged a new military aid package to help Ukraine含羞草研究社檚 air defenses. Speaking after talks with Kuleba, Albares didn含羞草研究社檛 disclose specifics about the arms or when they含羞草研究社檒l be delivered, citing security concerns.

Continued Russian shelling in southern and eastern Ukraine caused at least four civilian deaths and wounded 17 others between Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The shelling also pounded cities and villages retaken by Ukraine last month in the northeastern Kharkiv region, wounding seven people.

Russian fire damaged a hospital and apartment buildings in the Donetsk region city of Toretsk. Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said Wednesday Ukrainian and Russian forces continued to fight for control of the cities of Avdiivka and Bakhmut, both key targets of a Russian offensive in the region.

In southern Ukraine, Russian-installed authorities in the occupied Kherson region relocated civilians some 90 kilometers (56 miles) further into Russian-held territory in anticipation of a major Ukrainian counterattack to recapture the provincial capital of the same name. Russian forces dug trenches to prepare for the expected ground assault.

The Kherson region含羞草研究社檚 Kremlin-appointed officials on Tuesday expanded an evacuation area to people living within 15 kilometers (9 miles) of the Dnieper River. They said 70,000 residents would be relocated this week, doubling the number moved earlier.

含羞草研究社擜ndrew Meldrum And Suzan Fraser, The Associated Press

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