Ukraine’s next three grain ships sail after Russia’s ease in Black Sea blockade

Three more vessels will depart from Ukrainian Black Sea ports on Friday, 5 August to transport food cargo, including grain. Hulusi Akar, Turkish Minister of Defence, reported this as quoted by CNN Türk.

“As a result of the Coordination Centre’s hard work, three ships are planned to start sailing from Ukrainian ports as part of the grain shipments tomorrow [5 August – ed.]. Moreover, an empty vessel is expected to depart from Istanbul to Ukraine following an inspection,” Hulusi Akar said.

Hulusi Akar also noted that the empty vessel was expected to head to Ukraine following her inspection in Istanbul.

Ten vessels in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk are already loaded with grain and are ready for shipment.

A total of over 50,000 tonnes of Ukrainian corn are on board the three bulk carriers NAVI STAR, ROJEN and POLARNET.

After the start of a full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, a significant part of the southern regions was occupied. The Russian authorities began exporting grain from captured Ukrainian ports in the south. The Russian Federation took part of the seized grain to its territory. However, a large portion of the seized products was exported for sale abroad. For instance, Russian invaders stole the grain from the warehouses in the temporarily captured town of Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia region, and transport it by trucks to Russia through the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in May. Using the ports of the temporarily occupied Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the Russian Federation exports the plundered Ukrainian grain by sea to third countries.

Ukraine, Turkey, the United Nations and Russia at the Joint Coordination Centre completed an inspection of the first ship carrying grain which left Ukraine on August 1.

After the ship passes the inspection, she is to deliver a cargo of 26,000 tonnes of corn to the port of Tripoli in Lebanon.

Read also: First ships loaded with Ukrainian grain since Russia invaded leaves Odesa port, – Ministry of Infrastructure