Berdyansk: Ship with 7,000 tonnes of grain for pro-Russian nations departs Ukraine's port

A fleet carrying 7,000 tonnes of grain sailed from Ukraine's occupied port of Berdyansk on June 30, according to the region's Moscow-appointed official, marking the first grain shipment since the start of hostilities. Yevhen Balitsky, the head of the Zaporizhzhia region's military-civilian administration, stated that the ships and boats of the Black Sea Fleet's Novorossiysk naval base ensured the cargo ship's safety.

"After numerous months of delay, the first merchant ship has left the Berdyansk commercial port, 7,000 tonnes of grain are heading toward friendly countries," said Evgeny Balitsky, the head of the pro-Russia administration, on Telegram.

Berdyansk is a port city in the Zaporizhzhia region of southeastern Ukraine. Ukraine has accused Russia and its allies of stealing its grain, which has contributed to a global food shortage caused by grain exports being halted at Ukrainian ports. Since the first weeks of Moscow's invasion, the southern Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia have been largely under Russian control, and are now being forcibly integrated into Russia's economy.

The global food crisis

Ukraine is a major global wheat exporter, accounting for 9% of the global market. It also controls 42% of the global sunflower oil market and 16% of the world's maize. Between 20 to 25 million tonnes of wheat are stuck in Ukraine due to a Russian blockade of Black Sea ports and Russian and Ukrainian mines along the coast, while global grain prices continue to rise.

The UN is leading efforts to establish a "grain corridor" with a Turkish naval escort for tankers departing from Odesa and other Ukrainian ports. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on the other hand, has stated that Ukraine must clear mines from its Black Sea ports.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has stated that it requires "effective security guarantees" before it can begin shipments, citing concerns that Moscow could use the potential corridor to launch a sea attack on Odesa. Ukraine typically produces enough to feed 400 million people, but Russia is accused of converting that breadbasket into a stealth missile, with blockaded ports reducing exports to a trickle.

Some countries, particularly those in the Middle East and Africa, will face shortages. Libya and Eritrea import more than 40% of their wheat from Ukraine, while Lebanon imports more than 60%. However, the pain is widespread; wheat prices have risen by a third since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Image: AP