A grain ship carrying Ukrainian grain is seen in the Black Sea, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Ukrainian port of Odesa, Ukraine November 2, 2022.
At least initially, the corridor appears to apply to vessels such as container ships that have been stuck in Ukrainian ports since the Feb. 2022 invasion, and were not covered by the deal that opened the ports for grain shipments last year.
"Today a new temporary humanitarian corridor has started to work," Oleh Chalyk, a spokesperson for Ukraine's navy, told Reuters by telephone.
It said a risk remained from mines in the Black Sea and the military threat from Russia.
Last month, Moscow quit the year-old Black Sea grain deal that had allowed Ukraine to safely export agricultural products, saying that a parallel deal to help ease Russia's own grain and fertiliser exports was not being implemented.
Persons:
Serhii, Chalyk, Moscow, Olena, Tom Balmforth, Peter Graff
Organizations:
REUTERS, Reuters, International Maritime Organization, United Nations, Thomson
Locations:
Ukraine, Ukrainian, Odesa, Russia, Chornomorsk