On July 27, a Joint Coordination Center was opened in Istanbul, which will deal with the issue of safe transportation of grain from the ports of Ukraine.
Anadolu Agency reports this.
According to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the purpose of the coordination center is to ensure the transportation and distribution of grain exported from Ukraine. The movement of ships will be monitored, and the whole process will be coordinated by the UN and other parties to the agreements.
With the help of the center, they also plan to inspect, if necessary, the ships that take part in the export of grain from three ports of Ukraine: "Odesa", "Chornomorsk", "Pivdennyi".
Hulusi Akar noted that, if necessary, the issue of mine threat to ships will be resolved through the cooperation of all parties.
"There is currently no need for demining maritime zones. Preparations for the supply of grain in the ports of Ukraine continue," he said. And he noted that Turkey continues dialogue with both Ukraine and Russia.
"Ankara is aiming for a ceasefire in Ukraine as soon as possible. I am sure that the will to work together paves the way for dialogue and prevents any crises," the head of the Turkish Defense Ministry emphasized.
- On July 22, Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement on grain export with Turkey and the UN. It will be valid for 120 days with the possibility of an extension. According to the agreements, Ukraine does not need to demine the ports — ships will pass through safe routes within the territorial waters of Ukraine.
- On July 23, the Russians attacked the Odesa Sea Trade Port with Kalibr cruise missiles. The Air Defense Forces shot down two missiles, and two more hit the infrastructure of the port. There was grain that was being prepared for export. The rockets did not hit the grain storage, but hit the pumping station, causing a small fire. There was no significant destruction, and no casualties. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the attack on the port of Odesa.
- At the same time, the Minister of Infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov, said that Ukraine continues technical preparation for launching the export of agricultural products from its ports, even under conditions when Russia is not going to fulfill its obligations.