An announcement by Lloyd’s of London insurer Ascot and broker Marsh that they had started marine cargo and war insurance for grain and foodstuffs moving from Black Sea ports also removed a barrier to the start of shipments. “We hope to get approval today from the UN that will confirm the lanes that we propose for the ships to take in the Black Sea,” said Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov, standing in Odesa next to a ship that ran aground since the invasion and is now ready to set sail. “Post [receiving approval] we are ready to go… we hope that by the end of this week the first ship will leave our ports,” he said. Ukrainian media reported earlier that the shipments would begin on Friday. Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, speaking to reporters. Photo: Ed Ram/The Guardian Under the grain agreement, the United Nations and Turkey have guaranteed the safe passage of ships carrying much-needed grain from Ukraine. Russian forces blockaded Ukraine’s ports in February as part of Moscow’s bid to seize the country, triggering a global grain shortage that has pushed some countries toward starvation. Ukraine mined the waters along its coast to protect itself from a Russian land invasion. So the ships should carefully sail their exits from the ports. “We have solved almost all the technical issues [on our side] … we have provided the UN with some options,” Kubrakov said of the ship routes. He said it now depends on how the United Nations and Turkey facilitate the deal. Less than 24 hours after the deal was signed on Saturday, Russia fired two missiles into the port of Odessa, angering the international community and casting doubt on whether the grain deal will go ahead. Despite the attacks, G7 ambassadors to Ukraine as well as UN and EU representatives stood by Kubrakov in Odessa on Friday and expressed hope that Russia would keep its part of the deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Chornomorsk, a port in the southern Odesa region, to meet with representatives and oversee preparations for the missions. Britain’s ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons, said that while the UK was not involved in the agreement or its implementation, it had helped secure commercial insurance for the ships from providers in London. The announcement from Ascot signaled progress. Melinda Simmons, UK Ambassador to Ukraine. Photo: Ed Ram/The Guardian Simmons said last Saturday’s attack scared insurance companies, but they should not be discouraged. “The main thing is not to be afraid of Russia’s tactics because that’s what they are – tactics, to stop this from happening,” he said. Export experts said this week that ship insurance could be one of the biggest obstacles facing Ukraine in terms of future trade. Simmons said the UK was also helping Ukraine figure out how much grain Russia had stolen from its occupied territories. There is growing evidence that Russia is exporting grain from the Ukrainian territories it holds. “Millions of people around the world are waiting for grain to come out of this and other Ukrainian ports,” said Bridget Brink, the US ambassador to Ukraine. “One week ago, the Russians signed an agreement with the UN and Turkey… 24 hours later, Russia bombed this very port.” Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST “I hope there will be an agreement later this morning and I can say that the US and the rest of the world will look to Russia to stand up and implement its agreements,” Brink added. Ukraine is exporting at a rate of about 2.5 million tonnes a year, up from 0.3 tonnes in March, said Remy Diflot, deputy head of the EU delegation to Ukraine at the port. Before the war, Ukraine exported about 6-8 million tons per month. Since its Black Sea ports were blockaded, Ukraine has been using the Danube and its rail network to move its grain.
