Ukraine Requests IMO To Monitor Ports In Odesa Due To Escalating Russian Attacks

Ukraine has officially requested the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to deploy an international monitoring mission to the ports in its southern Odesa region.

The request has been made due to Russia’s escalating missile attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure, risking global food security.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha made the request during a briefing on Wednesday in Odesa when he met with the foreign ministers of the Nordic-Baltic Eight organization.

Syhiba said that Russian missile strikes had recently damaged four civilian vessels flying the foreign flag since October 6, increasing the risk to the region’s crucial port operations.

He warned that the continuous Russian attacks, especially on civilian vessels and grain storage facilities, pose a severe risk to global food supplies.

Syhiba made a statement saying that Russia is placing millions of people worldwide at risk of starvation during the briefing, discussing the direct threat to food security globally.

Per the Ukrainian authorities, Russia has carried out over 60 attacks on Ukraine’s ports since the beginning of its full-scale invasion in 2022, causing damage to over 300 port infrastructure facilities and civilian vessels.

These attacks have destroyed over 100,000 tons of agricultural products essential to global markets.

Four ships have been damaged recently, including those carrying grain to Egypt, corn to Italy, and humanitarian supplies from the UN World Food Programme for Palestine.

Before the invasion, Ukraine was a major global grain exporter, shipping about 6 million tons of grain per month across the Black Sea.

Despite continued attacks, around 85% of Ukraine’s food exports still depart from its Black Sea ports. Due to the increased risk, several insurers have cancelled bookings, greatly increasing the insurance rates for shipping in the area.

Syhiba added that maintaining freedom of movement in the Black Sea is one of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s key priorities in safeguarding Ukraine’s economic stability and global food security.

References: Reuters, Interfax

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