MainNews -

Movement of 218 vessels participating in "grain initiative" blocked - Infrastructure Ministry

Russia is accused of artificially delaying and reducing the number of inspections, which resulted in a queue of 176 ships with 2.1 million agricultural products on board.

Movement of 218 vessels participating in "grain initiative" blocked - Infrastructure Ministry
Photo: Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry

Due to the suspension of the "grain deal", the movement of 218 vessels participating in it is actually blocked, the press service of the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry has said.

According to the Ministry, as of 30 October, Ukraine does not have permits from the Joint Coordination Centre to pass through the safe corridor and conduct inspections.

Out of 218 vessels:

95 are loaded, have already left Ukrainian ports and are awaiting inspection for shipment to the end consumer,

101 - empty and awaiting inspection for entry to Ukrainian ports,

22 - loaded and waiting to leave Ukrainian ports.

"We emphasize that the implementation of the "Initiative on the safe transport of grain and agricultural products through Ukrainian ports" is exclusively humanitarian in nature and Ukraine as a party to the Initiative has not violated any of its clauses," the Infrastructure Ministry noted.

It pointed out that Ukraine did not stop the movement of goods through the "grain corridor" even despite Russian military attacks on port and energy infrastructure.

"There were also 15 cases of Russian UAVs and aircraft approaching to civilian vessels participating in the Initiative at a prohibited distance. At the same time, we note that the actual blockade of the 'grain corridor' by the Russian Federation began in September," the ministry said.

Russia is accused of artificially delaying and reducing the number of inspections, which led to the creation of a queue of 176 ships with 2.1 million agricultural products on board.

Today the Ikaria Angel vessel with 40,000 tonnes of grain for Ethiopia under the UN World Food Programme could not leave a Ukrainian port on Sunday, 30 October, as planned, due to the actions of Russia.

Russia said yesterday that it was withdrawing from the agreement allegedly due to "an attack on the Black Sea Fleet ships".

Read LB.ua news on social networks Facebook, Twitter and Telegram