First Lebanon-bound Ukraine grain ship passes through Bosphorus
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This steps comes after the completion of the inspection by Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, and UN troops operating at a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC).
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First Ukraine grain ship passes through Bosphorus to Lebanon.
On Wednesday, the first grain ship to leave a Ukrainian port during the war crossed through the Bosphorus Strait en route to Lebanon for a delivery that international powers hope would be the first of many to help alleviate a worldwide food crisis.
The Razoni set sail from Odessa on the Black Sea early on Monday, carrying 26,527 tons of grain, and arrived at the Bosphorus Strait on Tuesday night.
The shipment was made possible because Turkey and the United Nations brokered a grain and fertilizer export agreement between Moscow and Kiev last month, a rare diplomatic triumph in a long-running battle of attrition.
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Following the completion of the inspection by Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, and UN troops operating at a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in neighboring Istanbul, the ship entered the Bosphorus Strait at approximately 1130 GMT.
Ukraine reported that 17 more ships loaded with agricultural supplies were awaiting authorization to sail.
The Razoni is due to arrive in Tripoli harbor in four to five days, according to Ukraine's Ambassador in Lebanon, Ihor Ostash.
Three ships a day
According to the JCC, the ship was cleared after a three-hour inspection. The crew's information regarding the Razoni's journey would be utilized to fine-tune protocols to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels under the agreement, it added.
The United Nations-brokered agreement resumed grain exports from one of the world's leading producers, which had been halted for more than five months following Russia's operation launched on February 24. The arrangement is intended to help alleviate shortages and rising prices.
Following the first successful departure, a senior Turkish official, who requested anonymity, stated that three ships may travel from any of the three Black Sea ports of Odessa, Pivdennyi, and Chornomorsk every day, rather than the originally anticipated one.
The 120-day agreement will be extended by one month at a time if exports are not completed due to weather or inspection issues, according to the official, who added that the first period appeared sufficient for Ukrainian silos to be emptied.
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According to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, more outward movement from Ukraine is anticipated for Wednesday, and the export agreement covers around 27 ships.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Denys Marchuk, deputy chair of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, stated that Ukraine would like to include ports in the Mykolaiv region, east of Odessa, in the arrangement.
"The infrastructure ministry and the agriculture ministry are beginning to actively discuss with the coordinating council in Istanbul that it might be worth involving other ports, in particular in the Mykolaiv region," he said.
Marchuk stated that before the war, Ukraine exported 5-6 million tonnes of grain per month via its seaports, but that it was impossible to achieve that level due to the conflict and the fact that not all ports were operational.
