UN Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric announced that the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul was informed by the Russian side about restrictions on registering ships bound for the Odessian port of Yuzhny. The move is linked to unrecoverable ammonia exports from Russia, according to the UN.
He stated that Russia notified SKC of its decision to limit ship registrations to Yuzhny until ammonia exports resume. The UN voiced concern over slower progress in implementing the Black Sea grain initiative, noting that only 33 ships departed Ukrainian ports in May, roughly half the number from the prior month.
The UN pledged continued efforts to restore full operations and sustain the initiative. It was conveyed that all three ports should be able to accept ships without preconditions, with more inspections conducted daily and a predictable registration process. There was a call to resume fertilizer exports, including ammonia, and to reopen the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline.
The Russian side has not commented on the UN statement as of yet.
Reuters reported earlier that the UN has invited Kyiv, Moscow, and Ankara to begin preparatory steps for routing Russian ammonia through Ukraine. The UN also intends to broaden the grain deal to include additional Ukrainian ports and expand the types of cargo listed.
At the end of May, Reuters cited Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Renewal, Yuriy Vaskov, who said Kyiv would permit the passage of Russian ammonia through its territory if the UN and Moscow guarantee safe grain exports via the Black Sea.
Vaskov added that if ammonia pipeline operations are restored, Ukraine would consider whether such capability aligns with regional interests, a decision that would rest with the highest political leadership.
Terms of a transaction
A grain agreement was signed by representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the UN on July 22, 2022. The accord allows the export of grain, food, and fertilizer from Ukrainian territory across the Black Sea. Currently, exports are permitted from three ports, including Odessa, and ship traffic is coordinated through a center in Istanbul.
The agreement has been extended multiple times. The latest extension occurred with no changes after Moscow initially hesitated. It remains in place until July 17, and officials in Moscow indicated that the coming two months would be decisive for the agreement’s future. Russia emphasized the need to reconnect Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT, restore transport logistics and insurance, supply spare parts, and freeze assets of Russian companies, in addition to reactivating the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline.
And here’s the ammonia pipeline
The restart of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia line continues to be a sticking point in negotiations over the grain deal. The ammonia corridor was suspended on February 24, 2022, the same day Russia launched its military operation. In response, Togliattiazot unveiled new railway routes.
President Volodymyr Zelensky previously indicated that ammonia shipments from Russia to the port of Odessa would be approved only as part of a broader prisoner exchange. The Kremlin dismissed the idea, arguing that ammonia shipments do not equate to human exchanges.
The first phase of the ammonia pipeline project began in October 1979. It is currently managed by the Russian company Transammiak and the Ukrainian affiliate Ukrhimtransammiak.