Russia: Mariupol Port Accessible Again

The Russian armed forces say they have made the port of Mariupol usable again. They have cleared the harbour of thousands of explosive objects, including sea mines, and sunken vessels.

This has allowed five foreign ships to finally leave the port, according to the Kremlin. This is reported by Russian media.

Russia has called on Ukraine to also remove sea mines from ports, to contribute to solving shortages of certain essential products in the world, such as wheat and fertilizers. Ukraine and Russia together account for a third of world wheat production.

The sanctions against Russia and the war in Ukraine are hampering the export of products, causing, among other things, a food crisis. Russia is prepared to do something about it, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko, if international sanctions targeting Russian exports and Russian financial transactions are lifted.