Russia says strike on Ukraine's Odesa port should not affect grain shipment

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) – Russia's recent strike on Ukraine's port of Odesa should "in no way" affect the start of grain shipment, the Kremlin spokesman said on Monday.

The infrastructure necessary for the grain export is not affected, Dmitry Peskov told a news briefing in Moscow.

Russia on Sunday said it destroyed a Ukrainian warship and Harpoon anti-ship missiles supplied by the US in the Odesa port with high-precision and long-range sea-based missiles.

Peskov also stressed that the UN must do its part of the work related to the removal of "indirect restrictions" on Russian grain exports based on the agreement reached in Istanbul.

"There are no direct (restrictions), but there are indirect ones that do not allow full shipments that are so necessary for international markets, especially for those regions of the world where famine begins to be especially tangible. It is very important," he added.

He said it is necessary to wait for the start of the mechanism for the Ukrainian grain export before assessing its effectiveness.

Ukraine's Sea Ports Authority on Sunday announced that it began setting convoys in the Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne ports to export the grain out of the country.

With the mediation of Türkiye and the UN, Ukraine and Russia on Friday signed an agreement in Istanbul on the resumption of Ukraine's grain shipments from Black Sea ports.

Under the deal, a coordination center has been established to carry out joint inspections at the entrances and exits of harbors, ensuring the safety of the routes.

Internationally praised for its mediator role, Türkiye coordinated with Moscow and Kyiv to open a corridor from the Ukrainian port city of Odesa to resume global grain shipments long halted due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war that started on Feb. 24.​​​​​​​