Russia will have to inspect vessels the passage of which in the Black Sea is approved by the Joint Coordination Center (JCC), says Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations.
“It is our understanding that the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which Russia, Türkiye, and Ukraine agreed on under UN supervision on 22 July, must not be implemented without Russia, and so we do not view the decisions that were made without our involvement as binding. At the same time, the mentioned facts of misuse of the humanitarian corridors and the fact that the Black Sea remains an area of hostilities explain why we cannot allow for unimpeded passage of vessels without our inspection,” said Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC meeting regarding the suspension of the Black Sea grain initiative.
On 30 October 2022, Russia officially informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres about its decision to suspend its involvement in the Black Sea Grain Initiative due to an attack on ships of RF Navy’s Black Sea Fleet.
According to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, the ships of RF Navy’s Black Sea Fleet involved in ensuring safety of the ‘grain corridor’ were attacked on 29 October 2022.
On 22 July 2022, Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and the UN signed an agreement to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor for commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea – Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny. The agreement is in force for 120 days and can be extended upon expiry. The first ship with Ukrainian grain left Odesa on August 1.