The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain yesterday set off from the port of Odesa under a deal brokered by the UN and Turkey that is expected to release large stores of Ukrainian crops to foreign markets and ease a growing hunger crisis.
The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni left Odesa for Lebanon, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said.
A statement from the UN said that the Razoni was carrying more 23,500 tonnes of corn.
Photo: Reuters / Press Service of the Ukrainian Naval Forces Command
Data from the ship’s Automatic Identification System, a safety tracker for ships at sea, showed the vessel slowly coming out from its berth at Odesa port yesterday morning alongside a tug boat.
Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov posted a video of the long cargo ship sounding its horn as its headed out to sea.
“The first grain ship since Russian aggression has left port,” Kubrakov wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to the support of all our partner countries and the UN we were able to full implement the Agreement signed in Istanbul. It’s important for us to be one of the guarantors of food security.”
The ship was expected to reach Istanbul, Turkey, today, where it was to be inspected before being allowed to proceed, the ministry said.
The corn would then head to Lebanon, a tiny Middle East nation in the grips of what the World Bank has described as one of the world’s worst financial crises in more than 150 years.
A 2020 explosion at its main port in Beirut shattered its capital city and destroyed grain silos there, a part of which collapsed on Sunday following a week-long fire.
As the Razoni moved toward the open water of the Black Sea, it changed its destination from Istanbul to Tripoli, Lebanon.
The Turkish ministry statement said other ships would also depart Ukraine’s ports through the safe corridors in line with deals signed in Istanbul on July 22, but did not provide further details.
Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements with Turkey and the UN clearing the way for Ukraine to export grain and other agricultural goods that have been stuck in Black Sea ports because of Russia’s invasion.
The deals also allow Russia to export grain and fertilizers.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure said that 16 more ships, all blocked since the beginning of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, were waiting their turn in the port of Odesa.
Kubrakov said the shipments would also help Ukraine’s war-shattered economy.
“Unlocking ports will provide at least US$1 billion in foreign exchange revenue to the economy and an opportunity for the agricultural sector to plan for next year,” Kubrakov said.
The UN welcomed the development, saying in a statement that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes it would be just the first of many commercial ships carrying Ukrainian grain abroad and “bring much-needed stability and relief to global food security especially in the most fragile humanitarian contexts.”
The resumption of the grain shipments came as fighting raged elsewhere in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s presidential office said that at least three civilians were killed and another 16 wounded by Russian shelling in the Donetsk region over the previous 24 hours.
Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko repeated a strong call for all residents to evacuate. He particularly emphasized the need to evacuate about 52,000 children still left in the region.
In Kharkiv, two people were wounded by Russian missile strikes yesterday morning.
One was wounded while waiting for a bus at a stop and another was hurt when a Russian shell exploded near an apartment building.
Mykolaiv also faced repeated shelling, which triggered fires near a medical facility, destroying a shipment of humanitarian aid.
Analysts said that the continuing fighting could threaten the grain deal, making clients nervous.
“The danger remains: The Odesa region has faced constant shelling and only regular supplies could prove the viability of the agreements signed,” said Volodymyr Sidenko, an expert with the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank. “The departure of the first vessel doesn’t solve the food crisis, it’s just the first step that could also be the last if Russia decides to continue attacks in the south.”
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