Pro-Russian authorities announce shipment of 7,000 tonnes of grain to Berdyansk

Millions of tonnes of grain, including wheat and barley, are still stuck in Ukraine, subject to Russia's maritime blockade.

(Illustrative image) Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP

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There is still no solution in sight to release Black Sea grain stocks despite the talks launched under the aegis of the UN.

Millions of tons of grain, wheat and barley in particular, are still stuck in Ukraine, subject to Russia's maritime blockade.

In this context, the new civil-military authorities of Berdiansk in the south of occupied Ukraine announced on Thursday the loading of a first ship with 7,000 tonnes of cereals. 

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Taken by Russian troops in the early days of the war, the port of Berdyansk on the Sea of ​​Azov has since been administered by authorities appointed by Moscow.

The head of this new regional administration announced on the Telegram network that a first merchant ship left the port on Thursday.

Under Russian military escort, he is said to have taken 7,000 tonnes of grain to "friendly countries", i.e., in Moscow's terminology, the countries which did not take sanctions against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.

Difficult to know if this first loading after months of stoppage of traffic in Berdiansk announces others.

A local official quoted by the Russian media affirms that the port, protected from the fighting, could allow the export of 1.5 million tons of cereals.

kyiv for weeks has accused Russia of stealing its grain from producers to resell it abroad.

What Moscow denies.

In any case, by the presence of its military fleet off the coast, Moscow is currently preventing the bulk of

cereals from leaving Ukraine

.

Western countries have met on several occasions in recent days to try to unblock the situation, accusing Moscow of using the blockade as a weapon and of taking the whole world hostage.

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To listen

: Blocking of Ukrainian grain exports: "Wheat is a major geopolitical weapon"

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