Two commercial ships docked in a Ukrainian port, as Kyiv intensifies its efforts to break the unilateral blockade by Russia of its Black Sea Coast.
Two incoming vessels docked in Chornomorsk just hours before Russia launched its latest overnight barrage of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine. The southern Odesa region agriculture infrastructure was once again targeted.
On Sunday, Russia reported that overnight Ukrainian drone attacks on Crimea and other regions were also reported.
“The first civil ships used the temporary canal in the direction to Ukrainian ports. . . Oleksandr Kubakov, Ukraine’s deputy premier, said that the country would be loading 20,000 tonnes (over 20,000 tons) of wheat to African and Asian nations.
The bulk carriers flying the Palau flag, Resilient Africa, and Aroyat are the first to arrive in Ukrainian ports since Russia withdrew last July from an agreement mediated by the UN that allowed the export of over 33mn tonnes grain from Ukraine.
Kyiv announced this summer a corridor that would hug the Black Sea coastline of its southern neighbors and Nato member Romania and Bulgaria to accommodate ships stranded at Ukrainian ports since Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine began in February 2022.
Since Kyiv opened the corridor in response to international pressure, three vessels loaded with food and two with metallurgical goods have left Ukrainian port.
Ukraine continues to ship grain from ports on thea data that have been regularly attacked by Russian forces. The country continues to export grain via ports along the Danube River, which have been regularly targeted by Russian forces.
The Russian attempts to choke off grain and other food supplies from Ukraine, one of the world’s top exporters, has roiled markets and raised prices for developing countries.
Ukraine, armed with Nato air defence systems, and missiles of longer range provided by its western ally, has been increasingly targeting the Russian Black Sea Fleet based on Crimea, a peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014. Last week, destroyed and damaged a Russian navy ship docked at Sevastopol’s largest port for repairs.
Officials in Kyiv believe that neutralizing Russia’s use the peninsula as a staging area for military operations is key to ending the Black Sea Blockade and supporting an offensive military. Russia occupies 18% of Ukrainian territory, mainly in the south and east.
Kyiv says that despite the risks faced by ships in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, it can still protect the shipping route by preventing Russia from policing the northern corner of the Black Sea.
Oleg Kiper said that the governor of Berezivka region, Oleg Kiper, confirmed that the Russian strikes on Sunday caused damage to land and grain storage in Berezivka. Berezivka is 90 km north of Odesa.
Also, the strikes hit targets in Dnipropetrovsk and the city of Kharkiv located in the north-east.
Mykola Oleschuk posted a Video early Sunday morning showing an Ukrainian air defence system intercepting a missile near Odesa. The explosion looked like a fireworks show.
He wrote, “Our favorite city can sleep peacefully!”