(Bloomberg) -- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that special convoys will accompany vessels carrying key exports from Ukraine, including foodstuffs, via the Black Sea to ensure safe passage.

Kyiv recently opened a unilateral corridor from the region to allow ships to transport commodities like grains and metals from its deep-sea ports in so-called Greater Odesa, after Moscow in July pulled out of a United Nations-backed Black Sea grain deal that had guaranteed safe movement of crop vessels.

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“I have agreements with several countries regarding powerful convoys operated by Ukrainians but equipped with foreign gear,” Zelenskiy said on Saturday at a press conference in the capital Kyiv, where he hosted the international conference Grain from Ukraine.  “We will receive and are already being provided with sea boats,” he added. 

Russia stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure and hit a commercial ship at one of Greater Odesa ports earlier this month, adding to risks for Ukraine’s commodity exports just as farmers in the war-battered nation are close to complete this year’s harvest. A ship chartered by agricultural giant Cargill Inc. was damaged by an explosion while sailing from a Ukrainian port in the Black Sea last week. Still, vessels continued to transport commodities.

The Ukrainian government has struck deals with partners to supply the country with air defense systems to protect the Odesa region, Zelenskiy said. “There are positive signals, the corridor is functioning. I hope we will increase its operation and ensure safety,” he added.

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