UN expecting resumption of ship departures from Ukrainian ports on Thursday

NEW YORK (UN). Nov 2 (Interfax) - United Nations Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative at the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul Amir Abdulla said he is hopeful that the movement of bulkers carrying Ukrainian foods will resume on Thursday.

"Exports of grain and foodstuffs from Ukraine️ need to continue. Although no movements of vessels are planned for 2 November under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, we expect loaded ships to sail on Thursday," Abdulla said on Twitter.

The UN Secretariat at the JCC said earlier that no bulker movements were planned for November 2 under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian media quoted Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Alexander Kubrakov as saying that the departure of vessels from the ports of Ukraine as part of the "grain initiative" will continue as of November 3.

"Black Sea Grain Initiative continues. It is expected that on Thursday, November 3, that eight ships with agricultural products will pass through the 'grain corridor'. We have received confirmation from the UN," Kubrakov tweeted in the early hours of Wednesday.

Kubrakov added that inspections of ships at the Bosporus would be conducted on Wednesday, November 2.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that Moscow suspended the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, aimed to export Ukrainian foods, until further notice following a Ukrainian drone attack on ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Soon after that, the Russian mission to the United Nations formally notified the UN secretary-general that Russia had suspended participation in the grain deal.

The United Nations, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine signed a document in Istanbul on July 22 to open a grain corridor from three Ukrainian ports - Chernomorsk, Odessa and Yuzhny.