KYIV, July 24 (Reuters) – Ukraine pressed forward on Sunday with efforts to restart grain exports from Black Sea ports after a missile assault on Odesa raised doubts whether or not Russia would honour a deal geared toward easing world meals shortages brought on by the struggle.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced Saturday’s strikes as “barbarism” that confirmed Moscow couldn’t be trusted to implement a deal struck simply at some point earlier with Turkish and United Nations mediation.
Public broadcaster Suspilne quoted the Ukrainian army as saying after the strike that the missiles didn’t hit the port’s grain storage space or trigger vital harm and Kyiv mentioned preparations to resume grain shipments have been ongoing.
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“We continue technical preparations for the launch of exports of agricultural products from our ports,” Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov mentioned in a Facebook put up.
Russia mentioned on Sunday its forces had hit a Ukrainian warship and a weapons retailer in Odesa with missiles.
The deal signed by Moscow and Kyiv was hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough that may assist curb hovering world meals costs by restoring grain shipments from Ukrainian ports to pre-war ranges of 5 million tonnes a month. learn extra
But Zelenskiy’s financial advisor mentioned on Sunday the strike on Odesa confirmed deliveries might nonetheless get significantly disrupted.
“Yesterday’s strike indicates that it will definitely not work like that,” Oleh Ustenko informed Ukranian tv.
While Ukraine had the capability to export 60 million tonnes of grain over the following 9 months, this might take up to 24 months if its ports couldn’t operate correctly, he mentioned. learn extra
WAR ENTERS SIXTH MONTH
As the struggle entered its sixth month on Sunday there was no signal of a let-up within the preventing.
The Ukrainian army reported Russian shelling within the north, south and east, and once more referred to Russian operations paving the way in which for an assault on Bakhmut within the Donbas area within the east.
The air drive command mentioned its forces had shot down early on Sunday three Russian Kalibr cruise missiles fired from the Black Sea and aimed on the western Khmelnytskiy area.
While the primary theatre of fight has been the Donbas, Zelenskiy mentioned in video on Saturday that Ukrainian forces have been transferring “step by step” into the occupied jap Black Sea area of Kherson. learn extra
The strikes on Odesa drew condemnation from the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, Britain, Germany and Italy.
Video launched by the Ukrainian army confirmed firefighters battling a blaze on an unidentified boat moored alongside a tug boat. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the authenticity of the video or the date it was filmed.
Russian information companies quoted Russia’s defence ministry as saying that an Ukrainian warship and U.S. equipped anti-ship missiles have been destroyed. learn extra
“A docked Ukrainian warship and a warehouse with U.S.-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missiles were destroyed by long-range precision-guided naval missiles in Odesa seaport on the territory of a ship repair plant,” it mentioned.
On Saturday, Turkey’s defence minister mentioned Russian officers informed Ankara that Moscow had “nothing to do” with the strikes.
According to the Ukrainian army, two Kalibr missiles fired from Russian warships hit the world of a pumping station on the port and two others have been shot down by air defence forces.
SAFE PASSAGE
The strikes appeared to violate Friday’s deal, which might enable secure passage out and in of Ukrainian ports.
Ukraine and Russia are large world wheat exporters and a blockade of Ukrainian ports by Russia’s Black Sea fleet since Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion has trapped tens of thousands and thousands of tonnes of grain, worsening world provide chain bottlenecks.
Along with Western sanctions on Russia, it has stoked meals and power value inflation, driving some 47 million individuals into “acute hunger,” in accordance to the World Food Programme.
Moscow denies duty for the meals disaster, blaming the sanctions for slowing its meals and fertiliser exports and Ukraine for mining the approaches to its ports.
Ukraine has mined waters close to its ports as a part of its struggle defences however underneath the deal pilots will information ships alongside secure channels. learn extra
A Joint Coordination Center staffed by members of the 4 events to the settlement are to monitor ships passing the Black Sea to Turkey’s Bosporus Strait and on to world markets. All sides agreed on Friday there can be no assaults on them.
Putin calls the struggle a “special military operation” geared toward demilitarising Ukraine and rooting out harmful nationalists. Kyiv and the West name this a baseless pretext for an aggressive land seize.
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Reporting by Natalia Zinets in Kyiv, Tom Balmforth in London and Reuters bureaux; Writing by Matt Spetalnick Simon Cameron-Moore and Tomasz Janowski; Editing by William Mallard and Angus MacSwan
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