Ukraine Grain Export

Kyiv said Thursday that it had seized a foreign cargo ship and detained its captain, alleging that the vessel had illegally exported Ukrainian grain from the annexed Crimean peninsula.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov denied on Thursday reports by Ukrainian and British firms that the new Black Sea export corridor had been suspended.

Ukraine urged the European Union on Monday to back its initiative for regular exports through a new maritime corridor in the Black Sea, amid a rift between Kyiv and several neighbours over grain deliveries.

Russia launched a major aerial attack on southern Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian military said Monday, hitting Odesa port and destroying grain stores.

Two cargo vessels were bound for Ukrainian ports on Saturday, becoming the first ships to use a temporary corridor to sail into Black Sea ports and load grain for African and Asian markets, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.

The Kremlin has since asked Turkey to help Russia export its grain to African countries without any involvement from Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia was ready to revive the Black Sea grain export deal "as soon" as restrictions on its own exports were lifted.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan met Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, aiming to persuade him to return to a Ukraine grain export deal that helped ease a global food crisis.

Ukraine said Wednesday that Russian strikes on its sea and river ports had destroyed 270,000 tonnes of grain in the space of a month, as Moscow pounds its export infrastructure.

Moscow said Tuesday it had destroyed a Ukrainian military "reconnaissance boat" near Russian gas infrastructure in the Black Sea, in the latest clash in the waterway since Moscow's withdrawal from a major grain export deal.

Russia's grain and fertiliser exports are not subject to Western sanctions but Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have been a barrier to shipments. The deal in question aimed to alleviate a global food crisis.

Russia has been pounding Odesa, a centuries-old city on the shores of the Black Sea and one of Ukraine's main ports, since Moscow withdrew from a grain deal last month that allowed Kyiv's exports despite the war.

The United States has been told that Russia is prepared to return to talks on a deal that had allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, but "we haven't seen any evidence of that yet," the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday offered free grain to six poor African countries as he launched a summit with leaders from the continent days after withdrawing from the Ukraine grain export deal.

Russia hosts African leaders this week for a summit aimed at boosting ties despite concerns in Africa over the conflict in Ukraine and the suspension of a deal on Ukrainian grain exports.

Kyiv said Thursday that it had seized a foreign cargo ship and detained its captain, alleging that the vessel had illegally exported Ukrainian grain from the annexed Crimean peninsula.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov denied on Thursday reports by Ukrainian and British firms that the new Black Sea export corridor had been suspended.

Ukraine urged the European Union on Monday to back its initiative for regular exports through a new maritime corridor in the Black Sea, amid a rift between Kyiv and several neighbours over grain deliveries.

Russia launched a major aerial attack on southern Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian military said Monday, hitting Odesa port and destroying grain stores.

Two cargo vessels were bound for Ukrainian ports on Saturday, becoming the first ships to use a temporary corridor to sail into Black Sea ports and load grain for African and Asian markets, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.

The Kremlin has since asked Turkey to help Russia export its grain to African countries without any involvement from Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia was ready to revive the Black Sea grain export deal "as soon" as restrictions on its own exports were lifted.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan met Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, aiming to persuade him to return to a Ukraine grain export deal that helped ease a global food crisis.

Ukraine said Wednesday that Russian strikes on its sea and river ports had destroyed 270,000 tonnes of grain in the space of a month, as Moscow pounds its export infrastructure.

Moscow said Tuesday it had destroyed a Ukrainian military "reconnaissance boat" near Russian gas infrastructure in the Black Sea, in the latest clash in the waterway since Moscow's withdrawal from a major grain export deal.

Russia's grain and fertiliser exports are not subject to Western sanctions but Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have been a barrier to shipments. The deal in question aimed to alleviate a global food crisis.

Russia has been pounding Odesa, a centuries-old city on the shores of the Black Sea and one of Ukraine's main ports, since Moscow withdrew from a grain deal last month that allowed Kyiv's exports despite the war.

The United States has been told that Russia is prepared to return to talks on a deal that had allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, but "we haven't seen any evidence of that yet," the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday offered free grain to six poor African countries as he launched a summit with leaders from the continent days after withdrawing from the Ukraine grain export deal.

Russia hosts African leaders this week for a summit aimed at boosting ties despite concerns in Africa over the conflict in Ukraine and the suspension of a deal on Ukrainian grain exports.