In what comes as an awkward u-turn on Russia’s earlier claims, its foreign ministry spokesperson Mariya Zakharova admitted on Saturday Moscow was responsible for the airstrike hitting Odesa port on Saturday, just one day after its defense minister signed a grain deal in Istanbul.

Brokered by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, the deal Ukraine and Russia opted to sign separately was set to unblock the naval blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports bringing back exports of regional grain and oilseeds in a bid to help ease the growing global food crisis.

In her Sunday statement that was much at odds with Russia’s earlier denial it was behind the Odesa attack, Zakharova insisted the Russian military launched “high precision” Kalibr missiles to destroy Ukrainian “military infrastructure,”

Citing Ukraine’s president Zelensky who blasted the airstrike as a ‘blatant Russian barbarianism’ that casts doubt over the prospects of a ‘dialogue’ with Moscow, Zakharova snapped back saying that the attack targeted a ‘Ukrainian military vessel’.