KYIV, UKRAINE — Ukraine will export 2 million tonnes of grain in June, up from 1.7 million tonnes in May, and has reached the maximum volume it can ship by land routes, Reuters reported, citing First Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskiy.

Ukraine is shipping grain by land because of the Russian blockade that started when Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Sergey Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odessa military administration, recently told World Grain the nation would need help from allies to clear mines and ensure safe passage for grain exported through its seaports.

Ukraine is among the world's top grain exporters, and it has some 30 million tonnes of grain stored in Ukrainian-held territory that it is trying to export via road, river and rail. Ukraine can typically ship 5 million tonnes of grain per month through its seaports.