Since invading its neighbor, Russia’s Black Sea fleet has imposed a blockade that has cut off grain supply to global markets and pushed up grain prices.
According to the Ukrainian minister of infrastructure, a ship carrying grain has departed the port of Odesa for the first time since the outbreak of hostilities.
“The first grain ship since Russian aggression has departed port,” tweeted Oleksandr Kubrakov.
Thanks to the help of all of our partner nations and the United Nations, we were able to completely execute the Istanbul accord.
Russia and Ukraine inked an agreement in July to reopen Black Sea ports for the resumption of grain exports, which are essential to alleviating a rising global food crisis.
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Meanwhile, one of the wealthiest individuals in Ukraine, a grain merchant, was murdered by a perfectly aimed Russian missile strike, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Oleksiy Vadatursky was the founder and owner of Nibulon, a company that specializes in the production and export of wheat, barley, and corn and has its headquarters in the port city of Mykolaiv, located to the east of Odesa.
Transporter of 26,000 tonnes of corn
Mr. Kubrakov stated that the dry cargo ship Razoni, flying the flag of Sierra Leone and carrying 26,000 tonnes of grain, departed the port of Odesa at approximately 9.30 a.m. (7 a.m. UK time) on Monday towards Lebanon.
The ship will undergo inspection in Istanbul before going to Tripoli, Lebanon.
Russia and Ukraine struck separate deals with Turkey and the United Nations, paving the door for Ukraine, one of the world’s most important breadbaskets, to export 22 million tonnes of grain and other agricultural products that have been trapped in Black Sea ports due to the fighting.
Mr. Kubrakov stated that another sixteen ships are preparing to depart Ukraine’s ports via safe corridors by agreements struck in Istanbul.
The agreement intends to ensure the secure passage of grain shipments entering and leaving Odessa, Chornomorsk, and the adjoining port of Pivdennyi.
According to the UN, the World Food Programme plans to acquire, load, and convey an initial 30,000 metric tonnes of wheat from Ukraine on a vessel chartered by the UN.
Since invading its neighbor, Russia’s Black Sea fleet has imposed a blockade that has cut off grain supply to global markets and pushed up grain prices.
Many people in the world’s poorest regions depend on Black Sea supplies for food.
Moscow has denied blame, blaming Western sanctions for the slowed exports of its grain and fertilizers, and Ukraine for the mining of its Black Sea ports.
Due to the conflict, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the crop could be half of what it usually is.
He described the murder of Mr. Vadatursky as a “huge loss for all of Ukraine.”
“These people, these businesses, specifically the south of Ukraine, have ensured the food security of the world,” he remarked.
According to Forbes, the businessman’s net worth was $430 million (£350 million) in 2021, and he was creating a sophisticated grain market with a network of transshipment facilities and elevators.
In Mykolaiv, the mayor, Oleksandr Senkevych, reported that more than a dozen missile strikes, presumably the most powerful ever on the city, struck residences and schools, with two verified deaths and three injuries.
A small explosive device carried by a handmade drone exploded at Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol on Sunday.
Six individuals were injured, resulting in the suspension of celebrations honoring the Russian fleet, according to authorities.
The allegedly impromptu, small-scale nature of the attack increased the idea that it was perpetrated by Ukrainian separatists attempting to oust Russian forces.
