Ukraine says 1.3 mn tonnes of exports via Black Sea

Ukraine on Friday said it had exported 1.3 million tonnes of products since it created a Black Sea corridor in August, despite Russian threats against ships using it.

Ukraine set up the corridor between its Black Sea ports and the Bosphorus, weeks after Russia refused to renew a deal that had allowed it to safely export its grain to world markets.

The previous deal between the warring countries and major grain exporters was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations last year to protect food security, especially for the poorest nations.

Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports following the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022 sparked fears of spiking food prices and shortages in vulnerable countries.

"A total of 62 vessels used the entry corridor, 37 have already exported more than 1.3M tons of Ukrainian agricultural products and other cargo," Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Four ships were heading towards the Bosphorus and another 11 had entered the ports of Odesa for loading, he added.

Four vessels exported almost 130,000 tonnes of grain to countries in Africa, Asia and Europe via the corridor, he said.

Almost 33 million tonnes of Ukrainian food products were exported under the old grain agreement. Russia's withdrawal worried African, South American and Asian countries dependent on Kyiv's exports.

Moscow threatened to target ships leaving or arriving at ports controlled by Kyiv while simultaneously hitting Ukrainian port and grain facilities in August and September.

Kyiv said the campaign aimed to block its exports. Moscow said it only hit military targets.