Ukraine has refused to allow the cleaning of sea mines at the port of Odessa, in order to allow grain exports. The representative of the administration of the Odessa region, claims that such an action will be exploited by the Russian forces that will attack the city.

If Ukraine demined the country’s main ports, Russia “will want to attack, and land troops,” the Ukrainian official said in a videotaped message to the Telegram.

“The Russian fleet will pretend to be withdrawing to the annexed Crimea. But as soon as we demine access to the port of Odessa, the Russian fleet will be there.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu the issue of creating sea lanes to facilitate the export of grain to the Black Sea.

At the heart of the talks is the possibility of Ukraine, a major world grain exporter, exporting the crop that is blocked in Ukrainian ports.

At the request of the UN, Turkey offered assistance to escort the naval convoys, despite the presence of mines. In fact, some of the sea mines washed ashore on Turkish beaches.