Russia attacks Ukraine's Danube ports to slow down grain exports - Romanian president

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis says that Russian attacks on Ukrainian river ports on the Danube will slow down grain exports, so other routes need to be improved.

He said this at the summit of the Three Seas Initiative countries in Bucharest, Ukrinform reports citing Reuters.

"Of course the attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube are a huge problem. Of course it will in a way slow down exports. We will enhance the other routes, we accepted Ukrainian maritime transports through our Romanian territorial waters off the Black Sea, we will continue to enhance exports on the rail and on the road," Iohannis emphasized.

Speaking at the same press conference, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that his country has offered access to the Mediterranean Sea through its ports and that its Ministry of Transport is working with the European Commission and Ukraine on the issue.

As reported, on July 17, Moscow withdrew from the agreement which allowed for the safe export of Ukrainian products from Black Sea ports.

After that, the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanța became Ukraine's largest alternative export route, where grain arrives by road, rail, or barge on the Danube.

Russia continues to attack Ukrainian port infrastructure in southern Ukraine. On the night of September 7, Russian terrorists attacked the south of Odesa region with attack drones for three hours. This is the fourth attack on Izmail region in the last five days.