Ukraine Says Russia Preventing Black Sea Grain Deal With Ship Blockade at Pivdennyi Port

According to a Reuters report, the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi has halted operations because Russia is not allowing ships to enter it, in effect cutting it out of a deal allowing safe Black Sea grain exports, a Ukrainian official said on May 23.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative signed by Russia and Ukraine last July, and extended last week for two months, is intended to guarantee the safe wartime export of grains and foodstuffs from three Ukrainian ports - Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi.

The United Nations, which together with Turkey, brokered the deal and its extension, expressed concern on Monday that Pivdennyi - near Odesa on the Black Sea - had not received any ships since May 2 under the deal.

"Formally, the port of Pivdennyi is in the Initiative, but in fact it hasn't been there for a month. It has no incoming fleet," Ukrainian Deputy Renovation Minister Yuriy Vaskov said.

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