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- Russia and Ukraine signed agreements on Black Sea grain exports in Istanbul on Friday
- Southeastern port of Chornomorsk will be 鈥榯he first鈥� used for grain deliveries
Kyiv expects the first grain deliveries under a UN-brokered deal to leave Ukrainian ports 鈥渢his week,鈥� Ukraine鈥檚 infrastructure minister said Monday, despite Russian strikes on Ukraine鈥檚 Black Sea port of Odessa.
鈥淲e expect the agreement to start working in the coming days,鈥� Oleksandr Kubrakov, who led Ukraine鈥檚 delegation at grain talks in Turkey, told a press conference.
鈥淲e are preparing for everything to start this week,鈥� he added.
Kubrakov also highlighted the importance of security following a strike on the port of Odessa, one of the three export hubs designated in the agreement.
鈥淥ur position is very simple. We signed an agreement with the UN and Turkey. If the sides guarantee security, the agreement will work. If they do not, it will not work,鈥� Kubrakov said.
Russia and Ukraine signed agreements on Black Sea grain exports in Istanbul on Friday, with Turkey and the UN as co-guarantors.
Both countries are major exporters of agricultural products, but Moscow鈥檚 invasion has severely disrupted Ukrainian wheat exports as the fighting damaged harvests and left ports blocked and mined.
Kubrakov added that de-mining will take place 鈥渆xclusively鈥� in the shipping lanes required for grain exports, while Ukrainian ships will accompany the departing convoys that will transport not only grain but also fertilizer.
Deputy infrastructure minister Yuri Vaskov told the press conference that the southeastern port of Chornomorsk will be 鈥渢he first鈥� used for grain deliveries, followed by the port of Odessa in the south and then Pivdennyi in the southeast.
鈥淚n the next two weeks, we will be technically ready to carry out grain exports from all Ukrainian ports,鈥� Vaskov added.