According to a guaranteed safe passage arrangement, the first ship to leave Ukraine carrying grain exports since the start of the Russian invasion is scheduled to depart on Monday, the Turkish defence minister said, adding that something will follow.
According to the ministry, the corn-carrying ship Razoni, which is registered in Sierra Leone, will depart Odesa port for Lebanon.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24 has triggered a global energy and food crisis that is upending the international economy.
A “serious risk” of numerous famines this year has been raised by the United Nations due to the current worldwide food problem.
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 stopped 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.
