A view shows apartment buildings without electricity during a power outage after critical civil infrastructure was hit by Russian drone attacks in Odesa, Ukraine, on Dec. 10.STRINGER/Reuters
The Ukrainian port of Odesa was not operating on Sunday after the latest Russian attack on the region’s energy system, Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said, but added that grains traders were not expected to suspend exports.
Two other ports – Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi – authorized to export grains from Ukraine under a deal between Russia and Ukraine were partially operating, he said.
“Chornomorsk port is now operating at about 80 per cent of capacity,” Mr. Solsky told Reuters in a phone call.
More than 1.5 million people in the southern Odesa region were without power after Russian drone strikes hit two energy facilities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address late on Saturday.
Mr. Solsky said that Odesa port was not operating at the moment because the power generators had not been switched on yet. Grains traders continued to ship grains via the two other ports, he said.
“There are problems, but none of the traders are talking about any suspension of shipments. Ports use alternative energy sources,” Mr. Solsky said.
Since October, Moscow has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with large waves of missile and drone strikes.
Odesa regional authorities said electricity for the city’s population will be restored “in the coming days,” while complete restoration of the networks may take two to three months.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Black Sea grain export agreement on Sunday with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, as both sides seek changes that would boost their exports.
Turkey has acted as mediator alongside the United Nations in the grain deal, which opened up Ukrainian ports for exports after a six-month de facto Russian blockade.
Moscow is seeking better guarantees for its own food and fertilizer exports, while Kyiv wants the deal expanded to increase the number of Ukrainian ports it opens for shipping.
After his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Turkish presidency said Mr. Erdogan had called for a quick end to the conflict and said Moscow could start work on exporting more food products and commodities through the Black Sea grain corridor.
Russia has urged the United Nations to push the West to lift some sanctions, to ensure Moscow can freely export its fertilizer and agricultural products – a part of the Black Sea grain deal that Moscow says has not been implemented.
“The deal is of complex character, which requires the removal of obstacles for the relevant supplies from Russia in order to meet the demands of the countries most in need,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Mr. Zelensky said on Twitter he had “discussed further work & possible expansion of the grain corridor” with Mr. Erdogan.
Ukraine and Russia are both among the world’s largest grain producers and exporters. Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports following its invasion threatened to cause a global food crisis earlier this year, which was mitigated by the Turkish-brokered deal that unblocked Ukrainian shipments at the end of July.