Shipowners have halted vessel arrivals at Ukraine's Black Sea ports due to intensified Russian strikes, Kyiv said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned Moscow might escalate attacks in order to block the country's main corridor for grain exports.
The move is a significant escalation of the conflict, which has already had a devastating impact on global food supplies. Ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of grain, and the Black Sea ports are a crucial route for these exports. The halt in vessel arrivals is likely to exacerbate the global food crisis, which is already being felt by many countries.