Two ships loaded with Ukrainian grain anchor at Istanbul Strait

Two grain-loaded ships from Ukraine docked at the Black Sea entrance of Türkiye's Istanbul Strait en route to Ireland and England, the Turkish National Defence Ministry said.

The Panama-flagged ship, the Navi-Star, docked after departing from Ukraine's port of Odessa on Friday, the ministry said on Saturday.

The ship is carrying 33,000 tons of corn under a recent grain shipment deal signed by Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine, and the UN to ease the global food crisis.

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

A team from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul, consisting of representatives from all four sides, will inspect the ship.

After the inspection, the ship is expected to proceed on its way to Ireland.

READ MORE: Three grain ships to set sail from Ukrainian ports on Friday: Türkiye

The third ship: Rojen

The Maltese flagged ship "Rojen", which left Ukraine's Chernomorsk Port to sail for England, also anchored at its designated location north of Istanbul.

The ship, which carries 13 thousand tons of corn, will be inspected tomorrow morning according to Türkiye's Ministry of National Defence.

The Sierra Leone-flagged vessel Razoni was the first grain ship that left the port of Odessa on Monday since the conflict began in February.

The ship, with over 26,500 tons of corn, passed through the Turkish Straits after it got security clearance in Istanbul on Wednesday, when it set sail again for its ultimate destination, Lebanon.

So far, four ships, carrying a total of over 84,500 tons of grain, have departed Ukraine's ports to make their deliveries that many believe will help ease the global food crisis. 

READ MORE: Cavusoglu: Ukraine grain deal could be basis for comprehensive cease-fire