Russian and Ukrainian militaries discuss freeing grain exports

Military officials from Russia and Ukraine held a meeting in Istanbul to discuss a United Nations plan to export blocked Ukrainian grain to world markets through the Black Sea. (AP Photo)

Military delegations from Russia and Ukraine held their governments’ first face-to-face talks in months on Wednesday as they tried to reach an agreement on a United Nations plan to export blocked Ukrainian grain to world markets through the Black Sea.

Turkish military officials and UN envoys were also taking part in the meeting in Istanbul focused on finding a way to get millions of tons of grain sitting in silos amid the war in Ukraine shipped out of the country’s ports toward the Mediterranean.