First Ukrainian Grain Shipment Since Paper Agreement Still Hasn't Shipped

Some reports said Ukrainian grain shipments under the recent paper deal would ship as soon as this Wednesday. That timeline was not met for several reasons, including insurance issues and crews for the ships as Russian missile attacks continue. 

U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Thursday that grain shipments from Ukraine could resume as soon as today but that details of the exact coordinates of shipping routes were still being finalized. Some commercial roadblocks have also emerged following the Ukraine/Russia deal, including insurance for the vessels and finding sailors to crew them.

Ukraine is ready to start shipping grain from two Black Sea ports but no date has been set for the first shipment, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country is awaiting a signal from the United Nations and Turkey to start exports. Zelenskyy today visited the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk.

“The first vessel, the first ship is being loaded since the beginning of the war. This is a Turkish vessel,” Zelenskyy said. “We sent all the signals to our partners – the UN and Turkey, and our military guarantees the security situation. The infrastructure minister is in direct contact with the Turkish side and the UN. We are waiting for a signal from them that we can start.”

Russian forces on Thursday launched massive missile strikes on Ukraine’s Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, areas that haven’t been targeted in weeks, while Ukrainian officials announced an operation to liberate an occupied region in the country’s south.