Agencies

May 10: Ukraine and its allies have intensified efforts to unblock ports or provide alternate routes for exporting its significant crops of grain, wheat and corn.

According to the BBC, Ukraine and the EU discussed taking "immediate measures to unblock Ukraine's ports for grain exports" after Russia's blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports has forced its grain exporters to look for alternatives to move their cargo.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed preventing "a global food crisis triggered by Russia's aggressive actions" during talks with European Council President Charles Michel on his visit to Odesa on Monday.

Reuters reported that buildings in Odesa, a major Black Sea port for exporting agricultural products, lay in ruins on Tuesday, a day after Kremlin forces pounded the southern Ukrainian port with missiles.

Before the war, Ukraine exported 4.5 million tonnes of agricultural produce per month through its ports -12% of the world's wheat, 15% of its corn and 50% of its sunflower oil, the AFP news agency reports.

But the invasion has crippled its export capacity, with Russia destroying transportation infrastructure and blockading Odesa, the main port for grain exports.

"Food is stranded because of the Russian war and blockade of Black Sea ports causing dramatic consequences for vulnerable countries. We need a global response," BBC quoted Michael as saying.