Kyiv

Ukraine flagged off a vessel carrying grains from the Black Sea port, defying Russian threats of treating civilian vessels as 'potential military targets.'

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"The vessel Resilient Africa with 3,000 tonnes of wheat has left the port of Chornomorsk and is heading towards the Bosphorus," Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kurakov said on social media.

He said that the ship had also entered the Ukrainian port several weeks earlier through the newly-established corridor, alongside one other vessel that would soon depart for Egypt.

Russia had warned of action after it unilaterally pulled out of an agreement in July that had been brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to allow maritime exports from Ukraine.

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Since then, Kyiv created a naval corridor that several cargo ships have used. It mainly transports vessels through the Danube River, and road and rail links into Europe.

Ukraine: A major producer of grain

However, due to this, the transport costs have shot up, with some European countries have balked at the consequential local grain prices, and the Danube ports can’t handle the same volume as seaports.

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Ukraine is one of the world's major grain producers and mainly grows and exports wheat, corn, and barley.

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Ukraine accounts for 10 per cent of the world wheat market, 15 per cent of the corn market, and 13 per cent of the barley market. With more than 50 % per cent of world trade, it is also the main player in the sunflower oil market, according to the European Commission.

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According to statistics by the US Department of Agriculture, Ukraine was the world's seventh-largest producer of wheat in 2021/22 with 33 million tonnes.

Ukraine drowns Russian drones

Meanwhile, Ukraine on Tuesday said that its air defence systems downed 27 Shahed drones launched overnight in Russia's latest aerial barrage.

"A total of 30 attack UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) were launched... As a result of combat work, 27 Shaheds were shot down by air defence units," the Ukrainian air force said on social media.

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