The West to provide Ukraine with warships to escort vessels through Grain corridor

The Western partners will provide Ukraine with warships to escort civilian vessels through the “Grain corridor” in the Black Sea. In addition, the Odesa region will be protected by additional air defense systems.

This was announced by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Grain from Ukraine conference in Kyiv.

According to Mr Zelenskyy, creating a humanitarian “Grain corridor” in the Black Sea without Russia is a good achievement for Ukraine this year. The country is creating safe movement of civilian vessels through this corridor.

“We have agreed with our partners and will accompany ships at sea to ensure their safety. We already have specific agreements to receive the ships. This is a matter of the near future”.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President

In addition, there are agreements with the Western allies to protect the Odesa region from Russian missile attacks with additional air defense systems.

“Very specific complexes, a very specific request has already been sent by our partners, and I can say that it has already been agreed. Soon this region will be protected by very powerful air defense. We care not only about the ships, but also about the people who live there”.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President

On July 17, Russia announced its withdrawal from the Grain deal. After that, Russia repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s grain port infrastructure using cruise missiles and war drones.

Subsequently, Ukraine announced temporary corridors in the Black Sea for merchant ships traveling to and from Ukrainian ports. These corridors will be used primarily to evacuate ships stuck in Ukrainian ports.

In total, more than 100 vessels have already left Ukrainian ports through the temporary corridor in the Black Sea, which Ukraine launched after Russia’s unilateral withdrawal from the grain deal.

In August, Ukraine opened temporary corridors for merchant ships to leave ports. At the same time, Russia continues to attack Ukraine’s port infrastructure.

On October 5, British intelligence said that Russia could attack civilian ships carrying Ukrainian grain by laying sea mines on the approaches to Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

On October 26, the Ukrainian government announced that the temporary corridor for the movement of civilian vessels to and from the ports in the Odesa region was still in operation. The information about its suspension is not true, the statement said.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Russian invading troops in Crimea have been transferring Black Sea Fleet ships to the port of Novorossiysk for several months after systematic attacks by Ukrainian naval drones on Russian warships.