Ukraine ready to resume grain exports: Minister

By Davit Kachkachishvili

ODESA, Ukraine (AA) – Ukraine has completed all necessary preparations to restart grain exports from two ports, the country's infrastructure minister said on Friday, adding that the first shipments could be on its way by the end of the week.

Oleksandr Kubrakov made the announcement at a news conference in the Black Sea port of Odesa along with representatives of various countries as well as the UN.

Referring to the Istanbul agreement, he said Ukraine has completed all preparations to resume grain exports.

"Odesa and Chernomorsk are ready to begin shipments," Kubrakov said, adding that Yuzhny port will be ready by next weekend.

"Today, we have started loading another ship in Chernomorsk. We agreed on almost all technical issues," he said.

The plan, he added, is to send off the first ships by the end of the week.

"As soon as the green corridor will be established by our partners, the first ship will leave the port. I am grateful to the UN, Turkey (Türkiye), EU and G7 Ambassadors for their support," Kubrakov later said on Twitter.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal last week to reopen three Ukrainian ports -- Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny -- for grain that has been stuck for months because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which is now in its sixth month.​​​​​​​