The cargo ship Navi-Star docked next to the grain silos in the port of Odesa on Friday. Credit… Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times
ODESSA, Ukraine — The first shipments of grain since the start of the war in Ukraine have been loaded onto cargo ships at Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, preparing for their first voyages in more than five months.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of the Group of 7 industrialized nations visited Chernomorsk, one of the three ports, on Friday and said they are ready for the grain to go to countries affected by food shortages.
The visit came less than a week after Russian cruise missiles attacked the nearby port of Odesa, threatening to tear up a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to allow Ukraine to begin exporting grain. Ukrainian ports have been sealed off by a Russian naval blockade of the Black Sea since troops invaded the country on February 24.
In his Friday night speech, Mr. Zelensky repeated that Ukraine is ready.
“Concrete work for the restoration of Ukraine’s grain exports has started today in Odesa,” he said, adding, however, that he was not sure when the first shipment would leave. “I don’t want to make any predictions now; to see how the grain export agreements will be implemented. The UN, Turkey and other international partners are responsible for the security part of this process.”
His visit to the Black Sea coast followed a trip to the port of Odesa on Friday by ambassadors from the United States and Europe, who, along with Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, pressed Russia to comply with agreement and said it was possible that shipments could start soon.
“Millions of people around the world are waiting for grain to come out of this and other Ukrainian ports,” said Bridget A. Brink, the US ambassador to Ukraine, who was making her first visit to Odesa. “It is very important that Russia fulfills its commitments and allows this grain to be exported.”
As he spoke, one of the large cargo ships expected to deliver grain, called the Navi-Star, was moored in Odesa harbor near a cluster of large silver grain silos, its crew wearing orange jumpsuits , busy on deck. The Turkish-owned bulk carrier has been stuck in the port since February 19, days before the invasion began, according to maritime website MarineTraffic, as one of the few ships that failed to leave before the blockade.
The mechanics of transporting grain across the Black Sea with little trust between the warring sides is extremely complex. The operation has several moving parts, and the parties — Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations — were still working on important elements Friday, a U.N. official said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of the Group of 7 industrialized nations during a visit to the Black Sea port of Chernomorsk on Friday. Credit… Presidential Press Service of Ukraine
A joint coordination center that opened in Turkey on Wednesday is working to establish standard operating procedures, including monitoring and inspection and emergency response, said Ismini Palla, a UN official, adding that teams they were also working on safe routes and corridors for incoming and outgoing ships.
“Once all these elements are in place, we will start to see the first movements,” said Ms. straw “The ultimate goal is to ensure the safe passage of commercial ships.”
Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat, barley, corn and sunflowers, but its shipments plummeted after the war began, undermining a global food distribution network already strained by crop failures, drought, pandemic-related disruptions and climate change. Exports from Russia, also a major supplier, also fell.
The United Nations has warned of possible famine and political unrest, and Western officials have accused President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia of using the famine as leverage to ease sanctions.
— Michael Schwirtz and Matina Stevis-Gridneff