The first authorized shipment of Ukrainian grain since the start of the war on February 24 reached the Black Sea on the northern coast of Istanbul on Tuesday evening.
The cargo ship “Razoni”, which left Odessa on Monday with 26,000 tons of corn destined for Lebanon, is expected to spend the night at anchor at sea.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense said it will be inspected at the entrance to the Bosphorus by an international team on Wednesday.
This is the first export authorized by an agreement signed on July 22 in Istanbul between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations to remove barriers to Ukrainian ports and relieve agricultural markets.
The ship, which was more than 186 meters long, was visible from shore just before 7 PM (13.00 GMT) local time, according to AFP photographers and videographers at the scene.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the ship was expected “at the entrance of the Strait at around 21.00” (3 p.m. in Brasilia).
Head of Joint Coordination, Turkish Admiral Özcan Altunbulak, said that the examination demanded by Moscow, which wants to be sure of the quality of the cargo, “will be carried out by a delegation consisting of Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian and UN representatives”. Center (CCC) that oversees operations.
“Then ‘Razoni’ will be on its way,” he added.
– “Too early to draw conclusions” –
According to Dmytro Kuleba, head of Ukrainian diplomacy, 16 other grain cargo ships are “waiting their turn” to sail from Odessa, an important port city that concentrated 60% of the country’s maritime activities before the war.
However, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that it was “too early to draw conclusions and make predictions”.
“Let’s wait and see how the deal plays out and whether security is truly guaranteed,” he said late on Monday, although he is confident this is “a first positive sign”.
The agreement signed between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on July 22, under the mediation of Turkey and the UN, allows the resumption of Ukrainian exports under international supervision.
The agreement envisages the implementation of secure corridors that will allow the movement of merchant ships in the Black Sea.
Russia and Ukraine are major agricultural powers and supply the world market especially wheat, corn and sunflower.
It is estimated that 20 to 25 million tons of grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports since February 24, when the invasion began, and prices have soared.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, Russia described the ship’s departure as “very positive” and said it hoped all parties would implement the agreement.
A similar agreement, signed at the same time, also guarantees exports of agricultural products and fertilizers to Moscow, despite Western sanctions.
– Bombings –
Onshore fighting continues and Ukrainian authorities continue to count civilian casualties.
The head of the military administration of Kryviy Rih, Oleksander Vilkul, informed Telegram that two civilians were killed, who were in a minibus trying to leave the occupied city of Starosilya.
Five more people were evacuated, two were seriously injured.
The city of Mykolaiv (south) was again “huge bombing” at night from Monday to Tuesday.
The city is close to the front line in southern Ukraine, where Kyiv forces counterattack.
According to the Presidency’s statement, “the situation is tense” in Kherson, which has been under Russian control in the neighboring region since March 3.
But Ukraine announced on Monday that it was retaking 46 occupied cities.
Artillery is decisive in this conflict, where the Ukrainian and Russian armies are trying to consume the enemy forces with ammunition.
Ukraine’s main backer, the United States, announced on Monday the shipment of a new $550 million package of weapons, which will include ammunition for HIMARS missile launchers and 75,000 155mm mortars.
Washington has provided more than $8 billion in military aid so far.
Russia’s Supreme Court has designated the Ukrainian Azov regiment, famous for defending the city of Mariupol, as a “terrorist organization” on Tuesday. The decision could lead to harsh charges against the fighters captured by Russian forces.
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© Agence France-Press
source: Noticias
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