Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov denied on Thursday reports by Ukrainian and British firms that the new Black Sea export corridor had been suspended.

“The information regarding the cancellation or unscheduled stoppage of the temporary #Ukrainian_corridor for the movement of civilian vessels from and to the ports of the Big Odesa (region) is false,” Kubrakov said on X, formerly Twitter.

“All available routes established by the Ukrainian Navy are valid and being used by civilian vessels.”

The Kyiv-based Barva Invest consultancy, British security firm Ambrey and a specialised outlet, Ukrainian Ports, reported that Ukraine had suspended use of the corridor due to a possible threat from Russian warplanes and sea mines.

Ukraine has been using the corridor to try to revive its seaborne exports without Russian approval, defying threats from Moscow which quit a U.N.-brokered deal in July that had allowed some food exports to flow despite the war.

“We would like to inform you of a temporary suspension of vessel traffic to and from (the ports). The current ban is in force on Oct. 26, but it is possible that it will be extended,” the consultancy said on the Telegram messaging app.

Chicago wheat futures, a global price benchmark, turned higher on the news to recover from an earlier two-week low. They later traded up about 1%.

Wheat futures had been pressured this week by hopes that Ukraine would expand grain exports, as well as rain relief in dry crop belts worldwide. [GRA/]

Barva Invest, which specialises in Ukraine’s agriculture sector, said a de facto suspension had already been in place for two days at the behest of Kyiv’s military, which had cited a threat from increased Russian air force activity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that he had ordered Russian warplanes armed with Kinzhal missiles to patrol the Black Sea.

British maritime security company Ambrey said in a report that the Ukrainian Seaport Authority issued a communique late on Wednesday, saying: “There would be no vessel movement along the corridor for entry and exit on 26th of October, 2023.”

The suspension was prompted by Russian Air Force operations in the region, it said.

“On October 25th, Ambrey informed its clients that the Russian Air Force had dropped at least four objects, likely acoustic and/or magnetic sea mines, into the Ukrainian grain corridor transit area near Snake Island, Ukraine,” it said.

HUMANITARIAN CORRIDOR

Ukraine launched a “humanitarian corridor” for ships bound for African and Asian markets in August to try to circumvent a de facto blockade in the Black Sea after Russia quit the deal that had guaranteed Kyiv’s seaborne exports during the war.

Later, a senior agricultural official said the route – which runs along Ukraine’s southwest Black Sea coast, into Romanian territorial waters and onwards to Turkey, would also be used for grain shipments.

About 700,000 tons of grain have left Ukrainian ports via the new route since it began operating in August. Ukraine shipped up to six million tons of grain a month from its Black Sea ports before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Kubrakov said 23 ships were loading in the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi.

“A total of 51 vessels used the entrance corridor. 33 vessels exported more than 1.3 million tons of Ukrainian agricultural products and other cargo,” he said.

As Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge completed one year in office, the party on Thursday said that it has made “significant progress” under his leadership, and that he has been instrumental in revitalising the organisational structure.

Mr Kharge was elected as the Congress president last October after defeating Shashi Tharoor in the party’s internal polls for the top post.

He had officially taken over as the Congress president on October 26.  “Mallikarjun Kharge: Congress President Committed To People’s Good. Shri Kharge embodies the virtues of the  Indian National Congress – Virtues of democracy, social justice, secularism, inclusive growth and patriotism,” the Congress said in a post on X.

“Having risen through the ranks, he is an ideal example of what passion and persistence can achieve,” the party said.  From a humble position of a block-level leader to becoming the party’s elected president, his journey studded with 55 years of electoral success is a testament to his hard work, dedication and commitment to the cause of democracy, the Congress said.

“He (Kharge) is a fearless leader who fights for and defends the ideals he believes in. He also champions the rights of poor & marginalized,” the party said.  “Under his leadership, the party has made significant progress. He has also been instrumental in revitalizing the party’s organizational structure & outreach to the people,” the Congress said.

It asserted that Kharge is a visionary leader who is committed to building a better future for India. “He excels at consensus making and staunchly stands up for what is right and just,” the party said, praising Kharge.

“As our President completes a year in office, we wish him the very best and thank him for his efforts and inspiration to all those who strive to make a difference,” the party said.

Several Congress leaders extended their wishes to Mr Kharge as he completed one year in office.

In a post on X, Mr Tharoor said, “My Pranaams to Shri @kharge ji. May he lead us strongly to victory in the electoral battles ahead!” Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate, Abhishek Singhvi and Manish Tewari, among others, hailed Kharge and wished him on completing one year in office.

Britain will set up the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) safety institute, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday before he hosts a gathering next week of representatives of AI companies, political leaders and experts.

The institute “will advance the world’s knowledge of AI safety and it will carefully examine, evaluate and test new types of AI so that we understand what each new model is capable of, exploring all the risks from social harms like bias and misinformation through to the most extreme risks of all,” Rishi Sunak said in a speech in London.