An aerial photograph taken on October 31, 2022 shows cargo ships loaded with grain in the anchorage area of the southern entrance to the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Cargo ships loaded with grain and other agricultural products left Ukrainian ports on october 31, 2022 despite Russia’s decision to pull out from a landmark deal designed to ease a global food crisis. As one of the brokers of the grain deal, Turkey has stepped up diplomacy with the two warring countries in a bid to save it as Russia warned that continuing to enforce the agreement without its participation would be “dangerous”. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP)
Istanbul, Turkey — Six grain ships left Ukraine’s ports on Thursday, a day after Russia rejoined a deal to allow exports through the Black Sea, Turkey’s defense minister said.
“After the resumption of the grain initiative, six ships left Ukrainian ports,” Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by the official Anadolu news agency.
Moscow had said on Saturday that it was temporarily pulling out of the grain deal, accusing Ukraine of using a safe shipping corridor established under the agreement to launch a drone assault on its Black Sea fleet.
Turkey and the United Nations — who brokered the July deal — engaged in intense diplomacy to save the agreement designed to ease global food crisis caused by the Russian war in Ukraine.
Russia’s defense ministry said on Wednesday it had received sufficient guarantees from Kyiv that it would not use the maritime corridor to carry out attacks.