Two grain shipments leave Ukraine for Turkey, South Korea
Istanbul, Aug 9 (EFE).- Two grain shipments heading for Turkey and South Korea set sail Tuesday morning from the port of Chornomorsk, the latest to leave Ukraine under the newly established corridor to export goods that had remained trapped in the eastern European country as a result of the ongoing war.
The Liberian-flagged Ocean Lion vessel left the Chernomorsk port in southwestern Ukraine for South Korea loaded with 64,720 tons of corn, according to Turkey’s defense ministry.
Turkish authorities also confirmed that the Turkish flagged Rahmi Yagci freighter set off from the Odesa port to transport 5,300 tons of sunflower meal to Istanbul.
A further two merchant ships are sailing a dozen kilometers southeast of Odesa, the agreed starting point of the export corridor that will pave the way for the shipment of 20 million tons of grain that had been blocked in Ukraine since February when Russia launched its full-blown offensive.
Under the deal, all grain shipments are inspected by the Joint Coordination Center (JCC), a commission of Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish delegates, in accordance with an Ankara-brokered and United Nations-backed deal that was struck on July 22 between Moscow and Kyiv.
Ocean Lion and Rahmi Yagci are expected to arrive in Istanbul on Wednesday afternoon.
They are the eleventh and twelfth shipments to leave Ukrainian ports under the deal, after the first cargo ship, the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni vessel, launched the trade route on August 1.
The JCC is on Tuesday expected to inspect three more ships, Riva Wind, Glory and Star Helena, which arrived from Ukraine on Monday, the UN reported.
The shipments have ended a months-long trading blockade and are expected to bring relief to global markets.
As one of the world’s largest exporters of grain, Ukraine’s shipments are expected to ease the food crisis the conflict has triggered which has predominantly affected Middle Eastern and African nations. EFE
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