The first ship to set sail from Ukraine with grain exports since the beginning of the Russian invasion is due to leave on Monday under a guaranteed safe passage agreement, Turkey’s defence ministry said, adding that more will follow.
first grain ship
The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni will set off from Odesa port for Lebanon with its cargo of corn, the ministry said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24 has sparked a worldwide food and energy crisis that is shaking the global economy. The United Nations has warned of a global hunger crisis with a “real risk” of multiple famines this year.
Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat exports. But Western sanctions on Russia and fighting along Ukraine’s eastern seaboard have prevented grain ships safely leaving ports.
Nearly a third of the world’s wheat exports come from Russia and Ukraine. However, war along Ukraine’s eastern shoreline and Western sanctions against Russia have prevented grain ships from safely departing ports.
Following the signing of a grain and fertiliser export deal in July by Moscow, Kyiv, Ankara, and the United Nations, the departure of the Razoni was made possible. The agreement intends to ensure the secure transit of grain supplies into and out of the ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi.
The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, which is carrying corn, will leave the Odesa port at 8:00 in the morning (05:30 GMT) on August 1 in order to travel to Lebanon, according to a note from Turkey’s defence ministry.
