Exterior view of the grain storage terminal during visit of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the Odesa Sea Port, in Odesa, Ukraine, Aug. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Kostiantyn Liberov, File)
KYIV, Ukraine — Two cargo ships arrived in one of Ukraine’s ports over the weekend, using a temporary Black Sea corridor established by Kyiv following Russia’s withdrawal from a wartime agreement designed to ensure safe grain exports from the invaded country’s ports.
According to an online statement by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, the seaport of Chornomorsk in the southern Odesa region received two Palau-flagged bulk carriers, Aroyat and Resilient Africa, on Saturday. These ships are the first civilian cargo vessels to reach an Odesa port since Russia’s exit from the grain deal.
Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, announced on Saturday that the two ships will be transporting approximately 20,000 tons of wheat to countries in Africa and Asia.
Prior to Russia’s withdrawal, Ukraine had been able to export grain from its Black Sea ports under a United Nations and Turkey-brokered agreement that ensured safe shipments. However, Russia terminated the deal on July 17, claiming that their demands for the facilitation of Russian food and fertilizer shipments had not been met.
Following this withdrawal, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement declaring that any vessels heading towards Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea would be considered military targets.
In response, Ukraine has been redirecting its transport through the Danube River and road and rail links into Europe. However, these alternative routes come at significantly higher costs, and the Danube ports have limited capacity compared to seaports.
To mitigate the risks and challenges, Kyiv established a temporary corridor in the Black Sea on August 10, intending to use it primarily for evacuating ships stranded in Ukrainian ports since the war began. Oleksandr Kubrakov confirmed on Saturday that five vessels have already used the corridor to depart from Ukrainian ports.
Additionally, following the termination of the grain deal, Russia has intensified its attacks on the port infrastructure and grain silos in the southern Odesa region, using missiles and drones.
In a statement, Ukraine’s Air Force Command reported another attack on the Odesa region on Sunday. The attack involved 10 cruise missiles and six Iranian-made Shahed drones, all of which were successfully countered except for six missiles that hit an agricultural facility.
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