Four more grain ships leave Ukrainian ports under Türkiye-brokered deal

Four more ships carrying grain and foodstuffs have set out from Ukrainian ports under a recent landmark deal signed in Istanbul.

As part of a recent Türkiye-brokered grain export deal signed between Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine, the four ships left the Ukrainian ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk between 06:00 am and 8:30 am local time (0300-0530 GMT) on Sunday.

As a result of the contacts of Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and the coordination at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, the ships Mustafa Necati, Star Helena and Glory left Chornomorsk port, and the other Riva Mind left the port of Odessa.

Loaded with corn, the Sierra Leone-flagged dry cargo ship Razoni became the first ship to leave Odessa on August 1 for Lebanon, according to the grain corridor agreement.

Also, three more ships left the ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk on Saturday.

On July 22, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal in Istanbul to reopen three Ukrainian ports for export of Ukraine grain, which had been stuck for months due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, now in its sixth month.

To oversee Ukrainian grain exports, the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul was officially launched on July 27.

It comprises of representatives from the three countries and the UN to enable the safe transportation by merchant ships of commercial foodstuffs and fertilisers.

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