Under the UN-brokered grain deal, four cargo ships loaded with agricultural products departed from Ukrainian ports on Friday, the Turkish Defense Ministry reported. 

"Four more ships with grain cargo departed from Ukrainian ports this morning. Another five ships headed for Ukraine after inspection," the Ministry said on Twitter.

Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey signed an UN-brokered initiative on July 22 to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships to carry food and fertilizers from Black Sea ports. 

The three main Ukrainian ports, Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne, were unblocked to resume exports. A joint coordination center was set to monitor the implementation of the initiative, including ensuring that cargo ships would not carry any unauthorized goods or personnel. 

New route to export grain

Yesterday, the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul announced in a statement that a new route to export grain under the Black Sea initiative has been established from three Ukrainian ports. 
 
"The Joint Coordination Center (JCC) announced today a new route for merchant vessels going in and departing from the three Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi/Yuzhny under the Black Sea Grain Initiative," the statement said. 

Read next: JCC authorized 12 ships to depart Ukraine: Official

A few days ago, the Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed that two vessels loaded with agricultural products left the Ukrainian port of Chernomorsk, bringing the total number of ships that left Ukrainian ports under the United Nations-brokered grain export deal to 27.

In a statement, the Ministry indicated that the Zumrut Ana ship is carrying 6,300 tonnes of sunflower oil to Venice, while the Ocean bulk carrier with 25,000 tonnes of wheat is bound for the port of Marmara near Istanbul.

The departure of the two vessels was earlier authorized by the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul.

Read next: Guterres: First grain shipment from Odessa 'important starting point'

Two weeks ago, the United Nations-chartered ship MV Brave Commander was set to leave Ukraine for Africa after loading more than 23,0000 tons of wheat in the Pivdennyi port in Ukraine, a UN official said.

The ship set sail to Ethiopia via a grain corridor through the Black Sea brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in late July.

It was considered the first humanitarian food aid cargo sent to Africa since the start of the war in Ukraine under the framework of the Black Sea Grain deal.