Liberation of Zmiinyi Island Opens Water Channel for Transportation of Agricultural Products

The liberation of Zmiinyi Island by the Ukrainian military from the Russian occupiers made it possible to resume navigation along the Danube-Black Sea Canal, the press service of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority reports.

“Taking into account the liberation of Zmiiny Island from Russian troops and the accumulation of a large number of ships waiting to pass through the Sulina Canal, it is possible to use the channel of the Bystre mouth of the Danube-Black Sea Canal for the entry/exit of ships transporting agricultural products,” the report reads.

It is also noted that two barge-towing teams have already successfully moved from the Sulina harbour area to the Port of Kiliya via the Bystre mouth.

Recently, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said at the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Indonesia that Russia’s war of conquest against Ukraine had exacerbated the global food crisis. As a result, 323 million people are on the verge of starvation.

“In just two years, the number of people in the world experiencing severe food insecurity has doubled from 135 million during the COVID-19 pandemic to 276 million in early 2022 and 323 million today… The situation could get worse. Russia is blocking 20 million tonnes of grain in Ukrainian storage facilities,” the diplomat said.

He added that the Russian Federation was deliberately trying to use food as a weapon of war not only against Ukraine but also against the most vulnerable countries in the world.

Bohdan Marusyak