INSPECTIONS of ships moving Ukrainian grain have resumed, say Ukraine'a deputy prime minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, reported the UK Guardian.
Writing on Facebook, deputy prime minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said: "Ship inspections are being resumed, despite the Russian Federation's attempts to disrupt the agreement."
As part of the UN deal, inspection teams from Russia, Ukraine, the UN and Turkey ensure ships carry only food and other agricultural products and no weapons. However, Russia has been accused by Ukraine of delaying inspections, leading to a halt in grain shipments.
Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) spokeswoman Ismini Pallain in Istanbul also confirmed that inspections were resuming. "Inspections teams are already at work," she said.
Mr Kubrakov is in Turkey to discuss the status of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was agreed by Russia and Ukraine last July to help alleviate a global food crisis. Moscow says it agreed to extend the deal only until May 18.
Kiev and the UN say the deal has another 60 days to run after then, and are seeking an agreement to ensure it continues.
Kiev has accused Russian inspectors of preventing vessels from shipping grain from Ukraine.
Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said Moscow was increasing difficulties at a time when three eastern European countries have banned imports of Ukrainian grain and food products.
"Obviously, the Russians could not fail to take advantage of these nuances on the western border," he told reporters.
Ukraine is one of the world's biggest exporters of wheat and other grains, including to the Middle East and Asia. Russia's invasion last year, however, disrupted the main Black Sea export route, pushing up prices of grain based foods globally.
While the UN-brokered grain export deal has allowed a partial resumption of exports via the Black Sea ports, exports are still falling short of prewar levels, even as some of Ukraine's agricultural produce has been shipped over the borders of neighbouring countries.
In May 2022, the EU allowed Kiev to export its grain stocks through the bloc after the closure of the Black Sea shipping lanes following Russia's invasion fuelled a global food crisis. Member states agreed to import certain products from Ukraine without quantitative restrictions, and without customs and official inspection.
The scheme has had a knock-on effect as farmers in those countries have complained about the dumping of agricultural produce in their economies at cheap prices, undercutting local farmers.
Hungary's government widened its temporary ban on the imports of Ukrainian agricultural products to include honey, wine, bread, sugar, and a range of meat and vegetable products.
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