The pro-Moscow administration of the southeastern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhya, which is partially occupied by Russian troops, says it is exporting grain on a large scale.

"More than 100 wagons have already been shipped, another contract for 150 000 tons has been signed with a grain trader," Yevhen Balytskyi, the head of the military administration, wrote on his Telegram channel on Saturday.

He did not say where the shipments were headed, but they can only be transported to Crimea or Russia by train. Ukraine has accused Russia of stealing grain for months. Moscow has denied this.

One wagon can transport up to 70 tons of grain, according to the Ukrainian side. According to Balytskyi, Moscow is also planning to ship some 100,000 tons of grain from the southern Ukrainian port of Berdyansk, which Russian forces occupied shortly after invading Ukraine in late February.

Before the war, Ukraine was one of the largest exporters of grain worldwide. According to Kyiv, over 20 million tons are stuck in the country due to the Russian invasion and blockades of its sea ports.

Plans for legal grain exports

Efforts have been ongoing to facilitate the legitimate export of Ukraine's grain to curb a looming supply crisis.

Able to ensure safe transport through Black Sea corridors, Turkey has closely worked with both Ukraine and Russia as well as the United Nations to reach an agreement to transport tons of Ukrainian grain currently stuck in limbo due to the ongoing conflict.

A deal was finally reached on Wednesday at a summit in Istanbul, raising prospects for an end to a standoff that has exposed millions to the risk of starvation.

A coordination center for exporting Ukrainian grain is expected to be set up in Istanbul "for checking grains at harbors and ensuring the safety of the vessels in the transit routes," Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said after the four-way summit.

The summit marked the Russian and Ukrainian governments’ first face-to-face talks since another meeting in the Turkish metropolis in late March.