Zelensky: Ukraine will get warships to escort grain corridor partakers in Black Sea

Ukraine has agreed with its partners to receive warships to ensure the safety of ships partaking in the grain corridor in the Black Sea, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the Grain from Ukraine conference in Kyiv.

Ukraine considers the creation of a "grain corridor" without Russia to be one of its greatest achievements of the year. The state is working to ensure the safety of ships sailing through this corridor.

"We have agreed with our partners and will accompany the ships in the sea to ensure their safety."

Zelensky assures Odesa will be protected by additional air defense systems, which have already been agreed upon with partners.

"Very specific systems and a very specific request have already been sent by partners, and I can say that it has already been agreed.

Soon, this oblast will be protected by very powerful air defences.

Not only the ships are important to us, but also the people who live there."

After Russia announced in July that it was withdrawing from the grain deal, the enemy forces began shelling Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure in southern Ukraine. Almost every day, Russian troops launch drones and missiles in the direction of the country's southern ports.

Back in August, Ukraine announced the opening of temporary corridors in the Black Sea for merchant ships. At the same time, the Ukrainian Navy emphasized that the threat from Russia remains.

The government announced that it planned to start insuring ships sailing through the grain corridor at its own expense.

On November 15, the government created a new mechanism for insuring ships against war risks, which will significantly reduce the current insurance premiums for carriers exporting and importing from or to Ukraine by sea.