Ukraine Grain Export Ship Sets Sail for First Time Since War Began... Shipping Route Resumes After 5 Months

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] For the first time in over five months since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a cargo ship carrying Ukrainian grain has departed for the Middle East. This is regarded as the first result of the agreement to resume grain exports between Ukraine, Russia, T?rkiye (Turkey), and the United Nations. It is expected to help alleviate hunger in the Middle East and Africa, where food shortages have been worsening, but concerns remain that the agreement could be broken at any time due to ongoing hostilities between Ukraine and Russia.

On the 1st (local time), according to the Associated Press, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced in a statement, "The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship 'Razoni,' carrying corn, departed from the port of Odesa at 8:30 a.m. heading to Tripoli, Lebanon." This marks the first resumption of grain exports through the Black Sea, which had been blocked for over five months since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

Built in 1996, the Razoni is a 30,000-ton vessel measuring 186 meters in length and 25 meters in width, reportedly carrying 26,000 tons of Ukrainian corn. The Razoni is scheduled to arrive at the Bosporus Strait on the 2nd, where officials from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) established in Istanbul to ensure route safety and oversee related procedures will inspect the ship. The Turkish Ministry of Defense emphasized, "Other escort ships will follow, adhering to the procedures and routes agreed upon in the grain transport agreement."

The departure of the Razoni is considered the first achievement just ten days after Ukraine, Russia, the UN, and T?rkiye agreed on the 22nd to guarantee safe passage for grain exports via the Black Sea route. With the reopening of grain export routes through the Black Sea, there is hope that the worsening global food crisis, especially in the Middle East and Africa, will be partially alleviated. Considering the conditions of Ukrainian ports, it is expected that about 17.5 million tons of grain will be exported by the end of the year.

However, despite the agreement being implemented, concerns have been raised that the agreement could be broken at any time due to ongoing Russian offensives. Fierce fighting between Russia and Ukraine continues around Black Sea coastal port cities such as southern Kherson, posing a threat to the safety of grain exports.

On the previous day, Oleksiy Vadatursky, founder and owner of Nibulon, one of Ukraine's largest grain companies, was killed in a Russian missile strike on Mykolaiv. Additionally, the port of Odesa, designated as a grain export port under the four-party agreement, was struck twice by missile attacks even after the agreement was reached.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.