Two cargo ships arrived at a Ukrainian port through the Black Sea using a new route on Saturday after Russia abandoned the UN-backed deal that facilitated grain exports from Ukrainian ports, reported BBC. The ships arrived at Chornomorsk to load 20,000 tonnes of wheat which will be delivered to the African and Asian markets. According to AFP, the Deputy Prime Minister of the country, Oleksandr Kubrakov said that 'Resilient Africa' and 'Aroyat' sailed flying the flag of Palau and the crew was from Ukraine, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Egypt.
Ukraine's agricultural ministry said that the bulk carriers will deliver wheat to Egypt and Israel, reported BBC. In August this year, the country announced a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea to release ships that have been trapped in its ports since the start of the war in 2022. Five vessels left the port of Odesa using the corridor which hugs the western Black Sea coast near Bulgaria and Romania.
A UN official told Reuters that the organisation is not involved in the movement of the ships and it welcomes efforts for the resumption of normal trade, especially those of vital food commodities which will help stabilise the global food markets.
"We continue our efforts to facilitate exports for agricultural products from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation”, the official added, as per Reuters.
Russian Disruption Of Grain Export
These loadings are a test of Ukraine’s ability to reopen the shipping lanes as Russia tries to re-impose its de facto blockade after abandoning the grain deal in July 2022.
According to BBC, Ukraine is the biggest supplier of crops such as barley, maize and wheat. After the Russian navy blockade, around 20 million tonnes of grain that was meant to be exported was trapped in Ukraine. This caused massive disruption in world food markets as prices soared and threatened to create shortages in the Middle Eastern and African countries, which are the biggest importers from Ukraine. Meanwhile, the report added, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan and Ethiopia remain in desperate need of humanitarian aid.
Ukraine and Russia are among the world's top grain exporters. The grain deal was brokered by the UN and Turkey in July 2022 to combat the worsening global food crisis after Russia invaded Ukraine. It said the deal allowing the export of food and fertilisers was not honoured and said that Western sanctions had restricted its agricultural exports.
It has threatened ships that pass through the Black Sea, and Moscow has increasingly targeted the Ukrainian port infrastructure, reported BBC. It has repeatedly attacked the Izmail and Reni ports where most of the grain exports take place, in an attempt to disrupt operations.