About 270,000 t of grain destroyed in Ukrainian ports due to Russian shelling - expert

About 270,000 tonnes of grain were destroyed in the Danube and Odesa seaports as a result of Russian shelling.

Denys Marchuk, deputy head of Ukrainian Agrarian Council, stated this during a briefing at Ukrinform.

"After the termination of the grain initiative, there were over 8 attacks on the port infrastructure of Odesa and the Danube, which led to the loss of about 270,000 tonnes of grain that was contracted and was supposed to go to foreign markets," he said.

Marchuk noted that Ukraine can export up to 2 million tonnes of agricultural products per month through the Danube seaports. The capacity of the ports can potentially be increased to 3 million tonnes per month.

As Ukrinform reported, the agreement on the extension of the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Agricultural Products through the Black Sea, signed by Ukraine, the United Nations and Türkiye in July 2022, expired on July 18, 2023. A similar agreement was signed by the UN, Türkiye and Russia.

On July 17, 2023, the Russian side sent its objections to Türkiye, Ukraine, and the UN against the extension of the grain deal and de facto terminated it.