Two girls in Odessa see the “Razoni” leave, with thousands of tons of corn for Lebanon. Photo: EFE
A first ship with Ukrainian grain left on Monday from the port of Odesa, as part of an agreement with the planned international mediation release large shipments of Ukrainian crops for international markets and alleviate a growing food crisis.
The United Nations welcomed the news and noted in a statement that his general secretary, António Guterres, was confident that he would be only the first of many boats this would take Ukrainian wheat abroad and “bring much-needed relief and stability to global food security, especially in the most fragile humanitarian contexts”.
The Razoni, with the flag of Sierra Leone, left Odessa in the direction of Lebanon, according to the Turkish Ministry of Defense. A UN statement said the freighter was transporting 26,000 tons of corn.
Data from the Automatic Identification System, a shipment security monitoring system, showed that the ship was slowly leaving its dock in the port of Odessa along with a tugboat on Monday morning.
The Razoni flying the Sierra Leone flag leaves Odessa. Photo: Reuters
Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov tweeted a video in which the great ship blew the siren as it heads towards the sea.
Destination: Lebanon
“The first grain ship from Russian aggression has left the port,” Kubrakov said on Twitter. “Thanks to the support of all our partner countries and the United Nations, we have been able to fully implement the Agreement signed in Istanbul. It is important for us to be one of the guarantors of food safety ”.
The Razoni was due to arrive in Istanbul on Tuesday, where it would be inspected before it could continue its journey, the ministry said.
The corn was destined for Lebanon, a small Middle Eastern country mired in what the World Bank has called one of the worst financial crises in the world in more than 150 years. An explosion in 2020 in its main port of Beirut destroyed its capital and destroyed the grain silos. Part of that structure collapsed on Sunday after a week-long fire.
The Razoni sails in the waters of the Black Sea with final destination Tripoli, Lebanon. Photo: EFE
Other ships will leave the Ukrainian ports through safe corridors, under the terms of the agreement signed in Istanbul on 22 July. Turkish authorities did not provide further details on Monday.
Russia and Ukraine signed separate agreements with Turkey and the United Nations that paved the way for Ukraine, one of the world’s leading bakeries, export 22 million tons of wheat and other agricultural goods, blocked in the Black Sea ports due to the Russian invasion.
The deal also allows Russia to export grain and fertilizers.
The Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure said that another 16 ships, all blocked Since the start of the Russian invasion on 24 February, they have been waiting their turn in the ports of Odessa.
Kubrakov noted that the shipment would also help the Ukrainian economy.
“Unlocking the doors will provideAt least a billion dollars in foreign exchange earnings for the economy and an opportunity for the agricultural sector to plan for next year, ” the minister said.
the war front
Grain shipments resumed as fighting continued in other parts of Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office said at least three civilians had been killed and 16 wounded by Russian bullets in the Donetsk region in the previous 24 hours.
Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko repeated a strong warning that all residents will evacuate the area. He stressed the need to evacuate about 52,000 children who were still in the province.
In Kharkov, on Monday morning, two people were injured by a Russian attack. One was injured while waiting for a bus at the bus stop and another when a Russian bullet exploded near an apartment building.
A factory destroyed after a Russian attack in Kharkov. Photo: EFE
The southern city of Mykolaiv also suffered repeated attacks that set fires near a medical complex. a shipment of humanitarian aid destroyed with medicine and food.
Analysts continued the fighting it could be a risk to the grain businesswhich makes customers nervous.
“The danger remains: the Odessa region has been under constant attack and only regular supplies would demonstrate the viability of the signed agreements,” said Volodymyr Sidenko, an expert at the Kiev-based Razumkov Center think tank.
“The departure of the first ship does not solve the food crisis, it is only the first step which could be the last if Russia decides to continue the attacks in the south,” he added.
Associated Press
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Source: Clarin
