Three grain ships leave Ukraine ports

So said the United Nations-led co-ordination center.

In the statement, it was said that in co-ordination with Ukrainian, Turkish and UN delegations to the Istanbul-based centre, and that the Russian delegation was informed.

This export has been realised despite the fact that Russia has withdrawn from the agreement on October 29th, claiming it could no longer provide guarantees for civilian ships.

The agreement between Ukraine and Russia is mediated by the United Nations and Turkey.

The initial agreement was scheduled to last 120 days, with the option for rerun on November 19th “unless any party opposes”, UN spokesman Stephanie Dujarric said in a statement on October 28th.

It freed exports from the three ports in Ukraine -- Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhne égne -- which had been blocked since Russia began the invasion of Ukraine in late February.

This arrangement allowed some nine million tons of grain to leave these three ports.

Russia and Ukraine are both key cereal suppliers, and the ongoing conflict has only highlighted the fragility of the global food supply chain, when the two major states are out of the market.

In 2021, Russia and Ukraine are listed as global leaders in export of barley, corn, yellow oil flowers, sunflower seeds, and sunflower oil.

Together, they export almost 30 percent of the world's grain supplies. Russia exports 17 percent of its wheat worldwide, while Ukraine exports about 20 percent of its yellow oil flowers. / REL