ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain left the port of Odesa on Monday under a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey that is expected to release large warehouses of Ukrainian crops to foreign markets and ease the growing hunger. crisis
The Sierra Leonean-flagged cargo ship Razoni left Odesa for Lebanon, Turkey’s defense ministry said. A United Nations statement said the Razoni was carrying more than 26,000 tonnes of maize.
Data from Razoni’s automatic identification system, a safety tracker for ships at sea, showed the ship slowly pulling out of its berth in the port of Odesa on Monday morning alongside a tugboat.
Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov tweeted a video of the long freighter honking its horn as it headed out to sea.
“The first grain ship since the Russian aggression has left the port,” Kubrakov said on Twitter. “Thanks to the support of all our partner countries and the UN we were able to fully implement the Agreement signed in Istanbul. For us it is important to be one of the guarantors of food security”.
The ship is expected to arrive in Istanbul on Tuesday, where it will be inspected, before it can continue, the ministry said.
The corn will then head to Lebanon, a small Middle Eastern nation in the grip 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 of Beirut tore apart its capital and destroyed grain silos there, part of which collapsed after a week-long fire just Sunday.
As the Razoni moved into the open waters of the Black Sea, it changed its destination from Istanbul to Tripoli, Lebanon.
The Turkish ministry’s statement said other ships would also leave Ukrainian ports through secure corridors in accordance with agreements signed in Istanbul on July 22, but did not provide further details.
Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements with Turkey and the UN, paving the way for Ukraine, one of the world’s key breadbaskets, to export 22 million tonnes of grain and other agricultural products that have been stuck in seaports Black due to the invasion of Russia.
The agreements also allow Russia to export grain and fertilizers.
Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry said 16 other ships, all blocked since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, were waiting their turn at Odesa ports.
Kubrakov said the shipments would also help Ukraine’s war-torn economy.
“Unblocking the ports will provide at least $1 billion in foreign exchange earnings to the economy and an opportunity for the agricultural sector to plan for next year,” Kubrakov said.
The United Nations welcomed the development, saying in a statement that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hoped it would be just the first of many commercial ships carrying grain from Ukraine abroad and “bring much-needed stability and relief to global food security, especially in the most fragile countries.” humanitarian contexts”.
The resumption of grain shipments came as clashes erupted elsewhere in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s presidential office said at least three civilians were killed and 16 others wounded by Russian shelling in the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours.
Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko repeated a strong call for all residents to evacuate. He particularly emphasized the need to evacuate some 52,000 children still remaining in the region.
In Kharkiv, two people were injured in a Russian attack in the morning. One was injured while waiting for a bus at a bus stop, and another was injured when a Russian shell exploded near an apartment building.
The southern city of Mykolaiv has also faced repeated shelling, which led to fires near a medical facility, destroying a humanitarian aid shipment containing medicine and food.
Analysts warned that continued fighting could threaten the grain deal, making customers 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 at the Razumkov Center think tank in Kyiv.
“The departure of the first ship does not solve the food crisis, it is only the first step that could also be the last if Russia decides to continue attacks in the south.”
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Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.