Kiev (Ukraine) (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Washington Tuesday of seeking to prolong the war in Ukraine, as explosions rocked a Russian military facility in Moscow-controlled Crimea.

Simultaneously, the first United Nations grain ship left Ukraine for Africa: the first shipment of food aid since Kiev signed an agreement in July with Russia, mediated by Turkey and supervised by the United Nations, providing for the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports after it was halted due to the war between the two countries. the two countries.

The war that broke out on February 24 led to the imposition of harsh Western sanctions on Russia and unprecedented financial and military aid to Ukraine, and this caused tensions, especially between Washington and Moscow.

Putin generally criticized the United States for seeking to "destabilize and create chaos in the region and the world" through US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

"The situation in Ukraine shows that the United States is trying to prolong this conflict. They act in the same way, raising the possibility of conflicts in Asia, Africa and Latin America," Putin said in televised remarks.

He considered the visit "a blatant expression of disrespect for the sovereignty of other countries and (Washington's) international obligations."

The accusation comes as a fire broke out in an arms depot in the Djankoy region of Crimea, which

Moscow annexed it in 2014.

The fire broke out around 6:15 am local time (3:15 GMT) in a temporary storage of military equipment near the town of Myskoye in the Djankoy region, causing an explosion of ammunition, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defense carried by Russian news agencies.

Two civilians were wounded, according to Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov, who visited the site of the fire. An evacuation of residents took place in a nearby village.

And the ministry confirmed in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the explosion was "the result of an act of sabotage" without holding any party responsible.

It revealed that "damages were caused to a number of civilian facilities, including power lines, an electric generation station, and a railway, as well as a number of residential buildings."

In response to this explosion, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration, Andreich Ermak, welcomed on the Telegram application "the disarmament process completed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine," which, according to him, will continue "until the complete liberation of Ukrainian lands."

This incident comes a week after the explosion of munitions used in military aviation in a warehouse located on the land of the military airport in Saki in western Crimea, killing one person and injuring others.

While Russia described what happened as an accident, experts say that satellite images as well as ground video recordings suggest that it was a Ukrainian attack.

Since the invasion of Ukraine, Crimea has played a major role in Russia's strategy. The offensive into southern Ukraine, which allowed Moscow to seize large swathes of territory in the first weeks of the war, began.

Russian planes also take off almost daily from Crimea to strike targets in areas under Kiev's control; Many areas of this peninsula are within range of Ukrainian guns and drones.

Despite the conflict, Crimea remains a favorite destination for many Russians who spend their summer vacations on its beaches.

The Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine has been a source of intense tension for several days. The facility, the largest in Europe, was targeted with several strikes, which Moscow and Kiev are exchanging accusations of standing behind.

The fear of a nuclear catastrophe prevailed, which prompted the UN Security Council to hold a meeting last Thursday. However, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu tried on Tuesday to reassure Russia regarding Russia's intentions in the nuclear field.

Shoigu emphasized that "the primary goal of Russia's nuclear weapons is to deter any nuclear attack."

French President Emmanuel Macron discussed by phone, on Tuesday, with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, the situation at the Zaporizhia station. The phone call took place “in the morning” and lasted “an hour and twenty minutes,” according to what the French presidency announced, which is scheduled to reveal at a later time the content of the conversation.

As conflict disrupted Ukrainian grain exports for months, exacerbating food insecurity in many developing countries, the first United Nations ship loaded with grain set off for Africa on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure announced that the ship left the port of Pivdenye in southern Ukraine, carrying "23,000 tons of wheat" to Ethiopia.

The World Food Program confirms that 345 million people, a record number, in 82 countries today face food insecurity, while starvation threatens about 50 million people in 45 countries if they do not receive humanitarian aid.

The first commercial ship left on August 1, and 16 ships have departed from Ukraine since the agreement entered into force, according to a count by the Ukrainian authorities, but no United Nations humanitarian ship has yet left the port.

"I hope that other ships chartered under the World Food Program will arrive at our ports, and I hope that there will soon be two or three additional ships," Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said Sunday at the port of Pivdenye.