Ukraine ensures work of 'grain corridor' in Black Sea on its own - official

This was reported by Ukrinform.

"You probably know that Ukraine has secured the grain corridor in the Black Sea on its own, not thanks to an agreement between Turkey, the UN and Russia. So, we have secured the grain corridor ourselves, and the grain ships have now been released," said Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna.

She noted that there is also a special insurance fund organized by the UK for the grain corridor.

"So, it's done. We have protected the Black Sea. And we are moving forward. It will be a gradual process. But I think there is no other way to move forward," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

The work of the grain corridor: what is known

On 17 July, Russia announced the termination of the grain deal. In response, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it was necessary to continue using the grain corridor even despite Russia's withdrawal from the agreement. 

On August 4, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said that Ukraine would send ships with its own grain to wherever it deems necessary and would not ask anyone for permission.

On August 10, the Ukrainian Navy announced a temporary humanitarian corridor for merchant ships sailing to and from Ukrainian ports.

On August 12, Ukraine opened the registration of merchant ships and their owners who are ready to use temporary routes to Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

On August 16, the first vessel left the port of Odesa after Russia announced that it would terminate the grain deal on July 16, 2023.

On August 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The politicians discussed, among other things, the grain deal. Fidan stated that Ankara sees "no alternative" to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the original grain deal that Ukraine and Russia concluded with the mediation of the UN and Turkey.

On August 26, the second vessel left the port of Odesa, and on September 1, two more vessels blocked due to the war left the port of Pivdennyi in the Odesa region.

On September 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressed hope that an agreement on the Black Sea Grain Initiative would be reached in a short time.

On September 16, the blocked bulk carrier PUMA (Cayman Islands) left the Odesa seaport. The vessel was loaded with 16,000 tons of metal and 14,000 tons of rapeseed.

On the same day, Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said that the first civilian ships had confirmed their readiness to use the route to the Chornomorsk port to load almost 20,000 tons of wheat for Africa and Asia.

On September 16, Kubrakov said that after Russia withdrew from the grain deal, the occupiers struck Ukraine's ports 118 times. About a third of the infrastructure was damaged or destroyed.

On September 19, the vessel RESILIENT AFRICA left Odesa's Chornomorsk port via a temporary corridor: it was loaded with 3,000 tons of wheat

On October 26, it was reported that the grain corridor had allegedly been temporarily suspended, but the Ministry of Infrastructure denied the rumors, noting that Ukrainian ports continue to handle ships.

On November 14, Ukraine, together with a pool of British insurance companies, created a special mechanism to make the grain corridor more accessible to exporters.

Also on November 14, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine intends to remain a guarantor of food security for many countries, particularly on the African continent.

NATO members Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria are nearing an agreement to create a joint force to clear mines in the Black Sea following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.