Turkey’s defence ministry said the first ship to depart Ukraine since the start of the Russian offensive would depart Odesa port at 0530 GMT on Monday under a safe, safe passage agreement, adding that more ships will follow.
The ministry said the Leone-flagged ship Rezon, loaded with corn, will leave for Lebanon.
The ship’s departure was made possible after Moscow, Kyiv, Ankara, and the United Nations signed a grain and fertilizer export agreement in July. The deal is intended to allow safe passage for grain shipments in and out of the port of Kornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdeny.
“It was agreed for the Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship named Razon, which is loaded with corn, to depart from the Odesa port at 0830 in the morning (0530 GMT) on Aug. 1 to go to Lebanon,” Turkey’s defence ministry said in a note.
“Deployment of other ships are planned within the scope of the determined corridor and method” as part of the July 22 agreement.
Ukrainian presidential officials have said 17 ships docked in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports with almost 600,000 tonnes of cargo. Of them, 16 vessels held Ukrainian grain with a total tonnage of about 580,000 tonnes.
Ukraine’s shipments via sea have stalled since February, stoking global prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertiliser.
Moscow has denied responsibility for the food crisis, blaming Western sanctions for slowing exports and Ukraine mining its ports’ approaches.
As part of the agreement, a coordination centre was set up in Istanbul to oversee ships departing Ukraine and inspect incoming ships for weapons. U.N., Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish delegations work at the centre.
