Turkey launches monitoring site for Ukraine-Russia grain deal

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s defense chief has unveiled a new control center where Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and United Nations officials are tasked with monitoring Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea under a deal struck last month. last week, and signaled Turkey’s intention to ensure shipments begin to move.

The grain export deal, which could free up millions of tonnes of grain needed to ease a global food crisis, is clouded by uncertainty after Russia launched a missile attack on the port of Odessa, l one of the main grain export ports covered by the agreement.