ODESA, Ukraine — The first shipments of grain since the start of the war in Ukraine have been loaded onto cargo ships in Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, ready for their maiden voyages in more than five months.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of the Group of 7 Industrialized Countries paid a visit to Chernomorsk, one of the three ports, on Friday and said they are ready for the grain to go to countries hit hard by food shortages.
The visit came less than a week after Russian cruise missiles hit the nearby port of Odessa, threatening to nullify a United Nations-Turkey brokered deal to allow Ukraine to start exporting grain. Ukrainian ports have been closed by a Russian naval blockade of the Black Sea since troops invaded the country on Feb. 24.
In his late night speech on Friday, Mr. Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine is ready.
“Concrete work on the recovery of Ukrainian grain exports started today in Odessa,” he said, but added that he was not sure when the first shipment would leave. “I don’t want to make a prediction now; Let’s see how the agreements on grain exports are implemented. The UN, Turkey and other international partners are responsible for the security side of this process.”
His visit to the Black Sea coast followed a trip Friday to the port of Odessa by ambassadors from the United States and Europe, who, along with Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, urged Russia to abide by the deal, saying that it was possible for the shipments to get started quickly.
“Millions of people around the world are waiting for grain to come out of these and other Ukrainian ports,” said Bridget A. Brink, the US ambassador to Ukraine, who made her first visit to Odessa. “It is very important for Russia to fulfill its obligations and to have this grain exported.”
As she spoke, one of the large freighters to deliver grain – called the Navi-Star – was moored in Odessa harbor by a cluster of large silver grain silos, the crew, in orange overalls, crowded on deck. The Turkish bulk carrier has been stuck in port since Feb. 19, days before the invasion began, according to maritime website MarineTraffic, as one of a handful of ships that failed to get through before the blockade.
The mechanics of transporting grain across the Black Sea with little confidence between the warring factions is extremely complex. The operation has several moving parts, and the sides — Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations — were still working out key elements on Friday, a UN official said.
A joint coordination center opened in Turkey on Wednesday is working to establish standard operating procedures, including monitoring and inspection and emergency response, said Ismini Palla, a UN official, adding that the teams were also still working out the details. of safe routes and corridors for the incoming and outgoing ships.
“Once all these elements are in place, we will start to see the first movements,” Ms Palla said. “The ultimate goal is to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels.”
Ukraine is a leading exporter of wheat, barley, maize and sunflower, but supplies collapsed after the war began, undermining a global food distribution network already under pressure from poor harvests, drought, pandemic-related disruptions and climate change. Exports from Russia, also an important supplier, also decreased.
The United Nations has warned of possible famine and political unrest, and Western officials have accused Russia’s President Vladimir V. Putin of using hunger as a lever to ease sanctions.