Russia blocks 2M tons of grain on 176 vessels already at sea

Russia blocks 2M tons of grain on 176 vessels already at sea
October 31, 2022, 10:00 am

We are ready to export Ukrainian grain. We are waiting for signals from our partners to start transport - President Volodymyr Zelensky

By suspending its participation in the grain deal, Russia has blocked the export of two million tons of grain on board 176 ships that are already at sea, the Ukrainian foreign minister expressed on Sunday (Oct 30).

“By suspending its participation in the grain deal on a false pretext of explosions 220 kilometers away from the grain corridor, Russia blocks 2 million tons of grain on 176 vessels already at sea — enough to feed over 7 million people. Russia has planned this well in advance,” Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

“The current queue with grain has accumulated in the Black Sea since September, when Russia started deliberately delaying the functioning of the corridor and seeking to undermine the deal. Russia took the decision to resume its hunger games long ago and now tries to justify it,” he added.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of disrupting the grain deal in order to “complement food to the nuclear blackmail.”

FILE PHOTO: Grain is loaded on a truck at the Mlybor flour mill facility in Chernihiv region, Ukraine, May 24, 2022. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File PhotoReuters

"On Oct. 29, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, under the cover of the humanitarian corridor set up for the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, launched massive air and sea strikes using drones against the Russian Black Sea Fleet's ships and infrastructure at the naval base in Sevastopol," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Ukrainian drone attacks on Sevastopol were prepared under the guidance of British navy specialists, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Saturday (Oct 29).

Ukrainian grain reaches Spain by train: Government says

Ukraine and Britain denied the accusation, while the United Nations called for restraint by all parties.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on Saturday that "now Moscow uses a false pretext to block the grain corridor which ensures food security for millions of people."

The Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry said it is ready to continue gathering and shipping agricultural products to ensure global food security despite Russia's plan to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

UN official: 12 vessels authorized to depart Ukrainian ports for grain export

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement on July 22 in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN has been set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

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