Zelenski afirma que buque granelero saldrá en los próximos días / Ukraine War – Zelensky observes loading of grain as exports resume from Ukrainian ports

LEÓPOLIS.- El presidente de Ucrania, Volodomir Zelenski , afirmó hoy en el puerto de Chornomorks, desde donde va a salir el primer barco cargado con cereal ucraniano, que las «exportaciones pueden comenzar en los próximos días» y que sólo aguarda las indicaciones de los socios «para comenzar el transporte».

A través de un comunicado publicado en su página de Facebook con ocasión de su visita a este puerto ucraniano del Mar Negro para supervisar el cargamento del primer buque granelero tras el bloqueo de las exportaciones por parte de las fuerzas invasoras rusas, Zelenski dijo que su país estaba listo para la exportación.

«Estamos esperando señales de nuestros socios para comenzar el transporte. Es importante para nosotros seguir siendo el garante de la seguridad alimentaria mundial», dijo Zelenski, quien resaltó que su Ministerio de Infraestructuras «está en contacto directo con la parte turca y la ONU» y que esperaba una señal para comenzar los envíos.

Junto al presidente ucraniano estuvieron presentes en Chornomorks representantes del cuerpo diplomático acreditado en Ucrania, entre ellos los embajadores de Estados Unidos, Canadá, Italia, Alemania y Gran Bretaña.

Un granelero búlgaro cargado con 40.000 toneladas de maíz ucraniano será el primero en pasar por el llamado «corredor de cereales» del Mar Negro, según han informado las autoridades ucranianas citadas por el portal de noticias Ukrinform.

El granelero zarpará en una fecha próxima, aún por concretar, desde el puerto de Chornomorsk hacia Gran Bretaña, como parte de los acuerdos de Estambul, suscritos el pasado 22 de julio con las autoridades rusas.

Según la información proporcionada por Ukrinform, este granelero, de la naviera búlgara Rojen Maritime, llegó a este puerto ucraniano el 21 de febrero, antes de que comenzara la invasión rusa de Ucrania.

La estación marítima de Odesa determinó las coordenadas de las rutas de los barcos que transportan granos que saldrán de los puertos ucranianos en dirección a Turquía. Los barcos partirán de los puertos de Odesa y Chornomorsk y se trasladarán a una determinada zona del Mar Negro. EFE

Zelensky observes loading of grain as exports resume from Ukrainian ports

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the Odesa region to see the loading of grain as exports resume for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion.

Mr Zelensky observed a Turkish ship loaded with grain.

“The first vessel, the first ship is being loaded since the beginning of the war,” Mr Zelensky said.

He said the export of grain will begin with the departure of several ships that were already loaded but could not depart from Ukrainian ports.

“Our side is fully prepared. We sent all the signals to our partners — the UN and Turkey, and our military guarantees the security situation,” he said, adding “it is important for us that Ukraine remains the guarantor of global food security”.

The visits to the ports are part of a broader push by Ukraine to show the world they are nearly ready to export millions of tons of grains to the world after last week’s breakthrough agreement.

The complexities of the agreement and concerns about the safety of shipping crews has set the deal off to a slow, cautious start.

It has been a week since it was signed and no grain has yet left ports but the sides are facing a ticking clock — the deal is only set for 120 days.

It comes a week after Russian missiles struck Odesa, throwing into question Moscow’s commitment to the deal signed only hours earlier.

The sides agreed to facilitate the shipment of Ukrainian wheat and other grain from Black Sea routes blocked by five months of war, as well as fertiliser and food from Russia.

The goal over the next four months is to get some 20 million tons of grain out of three Ukrainian sea ports blocked since the February 24 invasion.

“We are ready,” Ukraine’s minister of infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov told reporters at the port of Odesa on Friday.

But he said Ukraine is waiting on the UN to confirm the safe corridors that will be used by ships navigating the waters, which have been mined with explosives.

In the meantime, a ship at the port of Chernomorsk was being loaded with grain, he said.

Martin Griffiths, the UN official who mediated the deal, said the first shipment of grain could depart Ukrainian ports as early as Friday but cautioned that work is still being done to finalise the exact coordinates of the safest routes, saying this must be “absolutely nailed down”.

Lloyd’s List, a global publisher of shipping news, noted that while UN officials are pushing for the initial voyage this week to show progress in the deal, continued uncertainty on key details will likely prevent an immediate ramping up of shipments.

“Until those logistical issues and detailed outlines of safeguarding procedures are disseminated, charters will not be agreed and insurers will not be underwriting shipments,” wrote Bridget Diakun and Richard Meade of Lloyd’s List.

They note, however, that UN agencies, such as the World Food Programme, have already arranged to charter much of the grain for urgent humanitarian needs.

Getting wheat and other food out is critical to farmers in Ukraine, who are running out of storage capacity amid a new harvest. Those grains are vital to millions of people in Africa, parts of the Middle East and South Asia, who are already facing food shortages and, in some cases, famine.

Since the deal was signed a week ago, shipping companies have not rushed in because explosive mines are drifting in the waters, ship owners are assessing the risks and many still have questions over how the agreement will unfold. By PA News Agency