Movement of vessels in the grain corridor resumed, but Russian inspectors continue to sabotage

According to the UN, the grain corridor has not yet fully resumed operations from Ukrainian ports, but the UN and Turkey are working with other parties to remove all obstacles to the grain initiative.

“According to the data provided to the JCC by the Ukrainian delegation, there are 54 vessels in the queue to enter the ports of Ukraine, 11 of which have submitted applications for registration to the JCC,” the UN reports.

However, on May 25, the JCC did not register any new vessels, and on May 26, it approved only 2. Currently, 13 vessels are being loaded in Ukrainian ports – 6 in Chornomorsk and 7 in Odesa. The average number of daily inbound and outbound inspections in May dropped to 3.2 ships per day, the lowest since August 2022, when the grain corridor was launched.

It is worth noting that Russian representatives refuse to inspect ships heading to Pivdennyi port without any explanation, thus trying to force Ukraine to resume transit and export of Russian ammonia.

After a long break caused by Russian inspectors sabotaging the grain corridor, two ships with Ukrainian agricultural products left the ports of Greater Odesa on May 28. The bulk carrier ELEFSIS with 64,000 tons of corn left the port of Chornomorsk for the Bosphorus, and the dry bulk carrier XIN SHUN with 19.5 thousand tons of barley and 44 thousand tons of corn left the port of Odesa. In addition, three more vessels called at Ukrainian ports that day – two at the port of Odesa and one at the port of Chornomorsk. Currently, there are 12 vessels in these ports for loading.

Even the low number of vessel calls allowed international traders to resume purchasing agricultural products in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, although the purchase prices remain quite low and do not suit farmers.