Russia's defense ministry claimed overnight that it will let foreign ships leave ports on the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, according to state news agency Interfax.
A safety corridor due to open Thursday will allow ships to leave Mariupol via the Sea of Azov port as well as Kherson and Odesa on the Black Sea, the report said. The Russian foreign ministry claimed yesterday that five foreign ships were able to leave Mariupol.
The claims, which CNBC was unable to verify, come amid increasing concerns over rising global food prices.
Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday that there could be a "multi-year food crisis" if a Russian blockade of ships carrying vital export produce, particularly wheat, is not lifted.