NEW YORK, July 27. /TASS/. Ukraine exploited the grain deal to smuggle narcotics and oil through Odessa, US publicist, Pulitzer Prize laureate Seymour Hersh says in his article, published on the Substack platform.

"Odessa’s exports included illegal stuff like drugs and the oil that Ukraine was getting from Russia," Hersh quotes a source in the US intelligence community as saying.

Hersh, who specializes in investigative journalism, said in his February 8 article, citing his source that explosive devices were planted on Russian gas pipelines in June, 2022, under cover of the BALTOPS military exercise, with support from Norwegian specialists. According to the reporter, the decision to carry out the operation was made by US President Joe Biden, following nine months of discussions with US Administration representatives working on national security issues.