Ukraine's Minister of Infrastructure, Alexander Kobrakov, said that he expects to resume the export of Ukrainian grain tomorrow, Wednesday, from the port of Chernomorsk, located in the Odessa region (southern of the country).

Kobrakov added that his country would stop grain exports if any Russian threats to the course of ships in the Black Sea were detected.

For its part, the Ukrainian Southern Operations Command said that preparations in Odessa ports are going well to start export operations, but stressed that these preparations remain under a cover of secrecy, in anticipation of a possible targeting by Russian forces of Ukrainian ports and facilities.

The Ukrainian army raised the state of alert after its naval forces spotted Russian landing ships in the Black Sea, and considered the Black Sea coasts as dangerous areas and a line of confrontation with the Russian army.

The Ukrainian military confirmed that Russia deploys 7 military ships to monitor communications in the Sea of ​​Azov and two Kalibr missile systems in the Black Sea.

According to Ukrainian officials, Ukraine's grain exports may reach 3.5 million tons per month in the near future.

On Monday, Ukraine's First Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Taras Vysotsky, told Ukrainian television that the volume of grain exports would gradually increase every month, starting from about 1.5 million tons next August.


Ensuring the implementation of the agreement

In the same context, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Alexander Kobrakov.

A Turkish Defense Ministry statement said that Akar expressed his satisfaction with the announcement of the start of grain shipments this week, stressing the importance of sailing the first ship as soon as possible.

Akar also stressed that Turkey has, and will continue to play, its role within the scope of the shipment, and that work in the Joint Coordination Center is continuing intensively.

For his part, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Washington is working with its partners around the world to ensure that Russia implements the agreement to export grain from Ukraine, considering the Black Sea ports to be the most effective to achieve this goal.

In turn, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, said that all parties involved in the deal to transport grain from Ukrainian ports reaffirmed their commitment to the agreement after Russia's attack on the port of Odessa.

Farhan Haq expected that the first ships would move out of Ukrainian ports within a few days.

For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara expects all parties to abide by the agreement on transporting grain from Ukrainian ports, and to act according to the responsibilities they have taken upon themselves.

In a live interview with a number of journalists on Monday evening on the TRT channel, Erdogan referred to the document of the initiative for the safe shipment of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, which was signed on July 22 in the city of Istanbul between Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations.

He stated that the successful implementation of the plan will begin to mitigate the effects of the global food crisis.