Russia imposes conditions on Ukrainian grain exports.
STT-,
Yrjö Kokkonen
8.6. 10:18 • Updated 8.6. 10:20
Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigun according to Russian forces have commissioned about 1,200 kilometers of railway tracks and opened roads to allow the movement of people and goods between Crimea and the Donbass in eastern Ukraine. Shoigu spoke at the conference call on Tuesday.
Crimea has been in the hands of Russian forces since 2014.
According to Shoigu, the opened land connection will also allow goods to be transported to the port cities of Mariupol, Berdiansk and Kherson, which are held by Russian troops.
He also claimed that the ports of Mariupol and Berdiansk were operating normally and that they would be ready to start transporting grain by sea.
The first ships to leave Mariupol have taken the metal to Rostov-on-Don in the wig of the Azov Sea.
Russian-held Berdyansk authorities said Wednesday that its port area has been cleared of mines and there are ships in the port ready to leave. The information provided by the news agency Tassi cannot be confirmed from objective sources.
The blockade of Russian troops in the Black Sea has raised fears of a global food crisis. In Ukraine, there are an estimated 20-25 million tons of grain that cannot be transported out of the country. Ukraine has accused Russian troops of stealing Ukrainian grain and reselling it.
A Kremlin spokesman reiterated yesterday Russia’s position that Russia would allow grain ships to pass through the Black Sea. According to Russia, this requires Ukraine to remove mines from the fairways. Russia also wants to check ships coming to Ukraine for weapons.
Ukraine does not accept Russian terms. According to Ukraine, the blockade is illegal. In addition, Russia could take advantage of demining and attack Ukraine from the sea.