Ukraine says wheat exports could resume ‘within days’.
Ukraine has said the first grain ships could leave its Black Sea ports “within days” under the landmark UN-brokered deal.
“If the parties guarantee security, the agreement will work. If they don’t, it won’t work,” said Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov.
Russia’s missiles fired at Ukraine’s main port of Odesa on Saturday raised fears that the deal could collapse.
The Ukrainian military said on Saturday that Moscow had attacked the Odesa seaport with four cruise missiles, two of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.
Command spokeswoman Nataliya Humenyuk said no grain storage facilities were hit.
Turkey’s defense minister, however, said there had been reports from Ukrainian authorities that one missile hit a grain silo tower, while another landed nearby, though neither affected loading at Odesa ports.
Russian defense ministry officials insisted on Sunday that an air strike on the port of Odesa – less than a day after Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement to resume grain shipments from there – had only hit military targets.
Otherwise, the launch of the invasion of Ukraine in February put an end to Ukrainian grain exports.
About 20 million tons of grain are blocked in Ukrainian ports.
Fierce fighting has also damaged crops and left ports blocked and mined.
This has led to food shortages and rising prices across Africa, which usually depends on Ukraine – as well as Russia – for grain.
