The first ship to transport grain out of Ukraine since the Russian invasion has passed inspection in Turkey and is now travelling to its final destination of Tripoli in Lebanon.
‘The Razoni’, which is carrying 26,000t of corn under a Sierra Leone flag, left the port of Odesa in Ukraine on Monday (August 1), before arriving in Turkey yesterday (August 3).
The ship was inspected for prohibited goods by officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN. Marine traffic tracking services estimate that the ship will arrive in Tripoli at about 10:00a.m on Sunday, August 7,
Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure has confirmed that 17 vessels have been loaded with grain and are awaiting permission to leave the country’s ports. Minister of Infrastructure in Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov said:
“This is the first ship to travel along the ‘grain corridor’ agreed with the UN and Turkey.
“Thanks to the armed forces and port services, the Razoni safely made its way to the Bosphorus, where it was inspected by representatives of the Joint Coordination Centre.”
“Using the Razoni as an example, all the necessary control and coordination measures between Ukraine and the signatory partners – the UN and Turkey – are being finalized and worked out.”
Earlier in the week, the ministry stated that it hopes to export approximately three cargoes a day, through the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi. However, the Razoni is the only ship that has left so far.
The transportation of these exports comes following a deal which was signed by Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on Friday, July 22, to allow grain to leave three Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.
The agreement led to the creation of a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, which will monitor the passage of grain ships through the ‘Safe Humanitarian Maritime Corridor’. Minister Kubrakov welcomed the ship’s arrival in Turkey yesterday and said:
“Unlocking ports will provide at least $1 billion in foreign exchange revenue to the [Ukrainian] economy and an opportunity for the agricultural sector to plan for next year.
“We are grateful to the partners who, despite the difficulties, did not stop the export preparation work,” he added.
Elsewhere, another cargo ship known as ‘the Osprey S.’ is currently making its way through the sea of Marmara, en route to the port of Chornomorsk, where it is estimated to arrive early tomorrow, Friday, August 5.
