MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. Kiev always had alternatives to the marine humanitarian corridor used during the grain deal but new information indicates vessels travel along the coast of territorial waters in the Black Sea, Director of the Second Department of CIS Countries of the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS in an interview.

"Ukrainian authorities always had at their disposal alternatives to the maritime humanitarian corridor that functioned as part of the Black Sea Initiative," Alexey Polishchuk said.

"These are primarily land routes, the so-called ‘Solidarity Lanes’ launched in March 2022. It is alleged that Kiev exported over 51.5 mln metric tons of grain over them. Now, according to incoming information, these schemes are complemented by the ‘coastal traffic’ of vessels in territorial waters of the Black Sea," the diplomat said.

The cost of such food transportation is "much higher," the department director said. "Eastern European transit countries - Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria are shouldering a heavy burden. Nevertheless, to all appearances, the West made a political decision to import grain from Ukraine at any cost," he added.