In a significant development, two cargo ships have arrived at Ukraine's Chornomorsk port, carrying a total of 20,000 tons of grain through the newly opened sea route in the Black Sea. This arrival marks the first instance of a non-Russian vessel reaching a Ukrainian port after the rupture of the maritime security agreement.
According to reports by the BBC, previously, only Ukrainian vessels would navigate this sea route. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov stated that the cargo ships, known as "Cruise" and registered as "Resident Africa" and "Arawat," carried citizens from Ukraine, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Egypt as passengers.
Ukraine's Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed that these ships will deliver grain to Egypt and Israel.
Amidst the ongoing conflict in the region, Ukraine's ports had relied on United Nations assistance to secure the safe import of cereals. The decision to use this sea route connecting the western coast of the Black Sea with the Arabian Sea was announced by Kyiv after Russia withdrew from the UN-brokered agreement on food and fertilizer exports through Ukrainian ports.
Despite Russia's claims that the agreement allowed for the export of food and fertilizers, they were accused of obstructing the supply of Russian agricultural products, leading to global food price increases and concerns about food shortages in the Middle East and African nations.
Several countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, and Ethiopia, which heavily depend on Ukrainian food imports, continue to grapple with humanitarian crises and rely on aid from organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP).
In addition to the arrival of cargo ships, Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian ports' infrastructure. Since July, most of Ukraine's grain exports have been managed from Ismail and Reni ports, both of which have been targeted several times by Russian forces in attempts to disrupt their operations.
Ukraine accuses Russia of causing significant damage to its grain exports and undermining global food security through its "aggressive" actions.
As the situation in the Black Sea continues to evolve, Ukraine's determination to secure its food exports and the global food supply chain remains a crucial issue in the ongoing conflict in the region.