While the grain corridor agreement signed in Istanbul after Turkey’s mediation and efforts was welcomed by the whole world, a striking statement came from the Ukrainian authorities. It was reported that the port of Odessa, which is among the ports where billions of tons of grain will be transported, was hit by the Russian forces and many explosions occurred.
UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIES ANNOUNCED
Ukrainian officials accused Russian forces of hitting the Black Sea port of Odessa with missiles on Saturday (today), a day after Moscow and Kiev agreed to restart grain shipments under the mediation of the United Nations and Turkey.
PORT INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGED
The military command in the south of Ukraine announced that its air defense systems hit two missiles, but the other two “damaged the infrastructure of the port”.
“ALL RESPONSIBILITY IS RUSSIA”
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko accused Moscow of “undermining its commitments” to the UN and Turkey, adding that “It took less than 24 hours for Russia to launch a missile attack on the port of Odessa and keep its promises. If this agreement collapses, all responsibility lies with Russia.”
US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink described the attack as “very ugly”.
Friday’s agreement to help release millions of tons of grain stranded in Ukraine included assurances that the Russians would not attack merchant ships or port facilities involved in the venture. The agreement was a step towards easing the crisis that has left many countries threatened by growing hunger, particularly in Africa and the Middle East.
AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED IN TURKEY
The agreement, which includes the resumption of the export of Ukrainian grain over the Black Sea, was signed yesterday at the Dolmabahçe Office with the participation of President Erdoğan, UN Secretary General Guterres, Minister of National Defense Akar, Russian Defense Minister Shoygu and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Kubrakov.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Erdoğan said, “With the ship traffic that will start in the coming days, we will open a new breathing tube from the Black Sea to many countries of the world.” had used the words.
UN Secretary-General Guterres said: “Today, there is a ray of hope in the Black Sea that the world needs more than ever.” he said.
EXPLANATION FROM MINISTER AKAR: WE RECEIVED THE NECESSARY INFORMATION
Regarding the explosion in Odessa, Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar said, “We talked over the phone with the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and the Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Aleksandr Kubrakov, and we received the necessary information. In our contact with Russia, the Russians stated that they had absolutely nothing to do with this attack, and they discussed the issue very closely and in detail. “We were really worried that such an incident occurred right after the agreement we made yesterday on the grain shipment,” he said.
Minister Akar made statements about the explosion in Odessa. Minister Akar stated that they spoke by phone with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Aleksandr Kubrakov, “We received the necessary information. They stated that there was a missile attack there. One of the missile attacks hit one of the silos there and the other fell in an area close to the silo. But they stated that the important thing is that there is no negativity in the loading capacity and ability of the docks, and that the activities there can continue.
Emphasis on Consensus
Stating that they were also in contact with Russia, Minister Akar said, “In addition to this, in our contact with Russia, the Russians told us that they had absolutely nothing to do with this attack and that they had examined the issue very closely and in detail. Such an incident occurred right after the agreement we made yesterday on the grain shipment. It really worried us. We were also disturbed by this. But we continue to fulfill our responsibilities in the agreement we reached there yesterday, and we also expressed in our meetings that we are in favor of the parties to continue their cooperation calmly and patiently here,” he said.
CONTACTS WITH COUNTRIES CONTINUES
Emphasizing that it is the expectation of the whole world public opinion that the implementation will start as soon as possible, Minister Akar said, “Already, even with the start of these talks, it was determined that there was a decrease in prices, as stated by the experts, that this should be continued, therefore, in terms of relief of people waiting for this, in terms of meeting their food needs. We mutually expressed in our speeches that Turkey is very important in humanitarian terms. Our coordination with Russia and Ukraine will continue and continues. We have fulfilled and will continue to fulfill our responsibilities in the memorandum of understanding that we signed during the meeting yesterday. In this context, again as a requirement of yesterday’s agreement, the Joint The work we have done since yesterday has resulted in the operation of the Coordination Center. Representatives of Russia and Ukraine, including the United Nations Representative, have now started to work with Turkey in the Joint Coordination Center. Our wish, my wish These and similar events were quickly set aside, and these studies started as soon as possible in line with the agreement we reached, and we are currently following the event closely and maintaining our contacts. It is our hope and wish that these works will continue as desired, as stated in the memorandum,” he said.