The alternative transport corridor through the Black Sea will continue to operate, despite all threats, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday, according to Reuters.
His press office said that Zelensky spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about operating in this corridor and about insurance policies for ships using it.
Kyiv-based consulting firm Barva Invest announced Thursday that Ukraine has suspended the use of its new grain export corridor through the Black Sea due to threats posed by naval mines and increased activity of Russian warplanes in the area. Ukrainian officials then denied the information.
After Russia withdrew in July from a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through a safe maritime corridor, Ukraine organized a “humanitarian corridor” to bypass Russia’s de facto blockade of its Black Sea ports. The government in Kiev then notified the International Maritime Organization about the establishment of a temporary maritime transport route, which also passes through Romania’s territorial waters.
According to Ukrainian officials and sources in the shipping sector, more than 40 ships have used this corridor so far and around 1.5 million tons of goods have been exported through Ukrainian ports.
Ukrainian agricultural producers estimated this week that up to 2.5 million tons of food could be exported monthly through this corridor, which would almost fully offset the impact of Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea grain export agreement.