New York/Moscow, Nov. 1, (dpa/GNA) - Grain exports from Ukraine across the Black Sea have been able to continue despite a suspension by Moscow of the agreement allowing it, the United Nations said on Monday.
“Our understanding is that the [grain deal] and commitments made within remain in force,” UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths told a UN Security Council meeting in New York. “[Russia] is only temporarily suspending activities in the implementation of the initiative.”
Twelve ships left Ukrainian ports on Monday and two headed for Ukraine to load food. It remained initially unclear whether the UN intended to continue exporting the grain shipments in the long term without Russia’s participation.
“We look forward to welcoming [Russia] back as a full and active participant as soon as may be in the fulfilment of the goals that we evolved, agreed and signed up to. The United Nations is ready to address concerns [and] listen to suggestions from all sides,” Griffiths said.
The agreement on Ukrainian grain exports, mediated by Turkey and the UN, was reached in July and ended the months-long blockade amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Moscow suspended the agreement on Saturday citing Kiev’s drone attacks on its Black Sea Fleet as the reason and claiming Ukraine had exploited the protection of the shipment corridor for the attacks.
Griffiths questioned Moscow’s stated reasons for the suspension. “When… vessels [involved in the grain deal] are not in the area, the corridor has no special status,” the emergency relief coordinator told a UN Security Council meeting.
“It provides neither cover nor protection for offensive or defensive military action. It can’t be used as a shield or a hideout. Neither is it a no-go zone,” Griffiths explained.
On Sunday, the UN, Ankara and Kiev had agreed to continue the shipments even without assurances of free passage by Russia, something that the Kremlin later called “dangerous.”
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia meanwhile insisted that the agreement “is not to be implemented” without Russia.
“We cannot allow an unimpeded passage of vessels without our inspection,” Nebenzia said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked UN Secretary-General António Guterres “for supporting our actions aimed at preserving the grain export initiative and preventing the spread of large-scale famine in some regions of the world.”
“It is very important now to prevent this global destabilization that Russia seeks. And we can prevent it,” Zelensky said in his evening address.
In Brussels, the European Commission said that more than 14 million tons of agricultural goods have been exported from Ukraine so far via alternative trade routes expanded as a result of the Russian war.
In addition, 15 million tons of non-agricultural goods, such as iron and steel, have been exported, a spokesperson for the Brussels-based authority said on Monday.
The so-called solidarity corridors were established in May. The main idea behind them is to expand existing trade routes in order to establish alternatives to exports via the Black Sea.
Meanwhile the conflict continued to rage on the ground in Ukraine 250 days since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
Russia fired missiles at several cities early on Monday, with air alerts sounding in many parts of the country, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Explosions were heard in the capital Kiev, the north-eastern city of Kharkiv and the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhya.
Important infrastructure was hit again during the attacks. Initially, no deaths or injuries were reported.
Russia had declared that it is particularly targeting the neighbouring country’s energy infrastructure.
Russia confirmed massive missile attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities. The Defence Ministry in Moscow said that Ukrainian military installations were also hit with missiles from bombers in the air and from warships.
“The targets of the strikes were achieved. All targeted objects were hit,” ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said
Ukraine for its part has accused Russia of “energy terrorism.”
On Monday evening, around 250,000 flats were still without electricity in Kiev after a Russian missile attack on the energy supply of the capital.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that water was still not available at 40% of consumption points, an improvement since the morning when 80% of the connections still had no water. Electricity had been out in about 350,000 homes.
GNA