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First grain ship from Ukrainian port passes through the Bosphorus en route to Lebanon [1]

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Date: 2022-08-03

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy observes preparations for the first shipment of grain from the port of Odesa since the Russian invasion.

Here’s another piece of good news to report. The first grain ship to leave a Ukrainian port since the start of the war has passed through the Bosphorus and is on its way to Tripoli, Lebanon.

Reuters reported that the delivery hopefully “will be the first of many to help ease a global food crisis.” The resumption of Ukrainian grain shipments The resumption of shipments could also lower grain prices and reduce inflation.

The Razoni left Odesa on the Black Sea early on Monday carrying 26,527 tonnes of corn and anchored at the entrance of the Bosphorus Strait on Tuesday night. The shipment was made possible after Turkey and the United Nations brokered a grain and fertiliser export agreement between Moscow and Kyiv last month - a rare diplomatic breakthrough in a drawn-out war of attrition. The ship entered the Bosphorus Strait around 1130 GMT, following the completion of the inspection by Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and U.N. personnel working at a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in nearby Istanbul. Ukraine's ambassador to Lebanon, Ihor Ostash, said the Razoni was expected to arrive in Tripoli port in four to five days. The JCC said the ship was cleared after a three-hour inspection. Information from the crew about the Razoni's journey will be used to fine-tune procedures to continue the safe passage of commercial vessels under the deal, it added

Reuters quoted a senior Turkish official who requested anonymity as saying that three ships may leave from any of the three Black Sea ports of Odesa and nearby Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk every day, instead of the previously planned one.

The official said the initial deal is for 120 days, but could be extended by a month at a time if exports are not completed due to weather conditions or problems with inspections.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said about 27 ships were covered by the export deal, according to Reuters.

Here is a video of the Razoni leaving the port of Odesa on Monday:

Denys Marchuk, deputy chair of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, told a news briefing on Wednesday that Ukraine would like to expand the deal to include ports in the Mykolaiv region, to the east of Odesa. However, this area is much closer to the front line of the war.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken welcomed the news the the first grain ship departing Ukraine had safely crossed the Black Sea. He commended the efforts of the U.N. and Turkey “to get Ukraine’s grain to those suffering from food insecurity.”

x We welcome the first grain ship departing Ukraine and safely crossing the Black Sea. We commend the @UN and Turkey's efforts to get Ukraine’s grain to those suffering from food insecurity. — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 3, 2022

Last Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Odesa to observe preparations for the first shipment of grain since the Feb. 24 Russian invasion and subsequent blockade of Ukrainian ports.

Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine’s military is committed to the ships’ safety,adding, “It is important for us that Ukraine remains the guarantor of global food security.”

On Monday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the departure of the first Ukrainian grain shipment since the Russian blockade began is a “day of relief for the world, and especially our friends in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.”

“Ukraine has always been a reliable partner and will remain one should Russia respect its part of the deal.”

x The day of relief for the world, especially for our friends in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, as the first Ukrainian grain leaves Odesa after months of Russian blockade. Ukraine has always been a reliable partner and will remain one should Russia respect its part of the deal. — Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) August 1, 2022

The deal brokered by Turkey and the U.N. also allows Russia to export grain and fertilizer through the Black Sea, even though sanctions remain in place. The Russian shipments will also be inspected by the JCC.

Ukraine and Russia separately signed the agreement in Istanbul on July 22.

A day after the grain export agreement was signed, Russia launched a Kalibr missile attack on the Odesa port. The attack raised some concerns that Russia might not honor the agreemen it had just signed.

Ukrainian air defense systems shot down two missiles, but two more hit the port’s infrastructure facilities, Ukrainskaya Pravda reported. The Ukrainian military said a fire broke out in a pumping station, but did not cause any significant damage to the port infrastructure. The attack did not impact the grain storage facility.

The deal involved compromises on both sides, but was more of a setback for Russia. Russia had been accused of using food as a weapon in order to exert pressure on Ukraine to make concessions, and for its Western allies to ease sanctions imposed after Russia invaded its neighbor

But as the war continued, Russian leader Vladimir Putin had to take into consideration Russia’s extensive interests in Africa, where countries friendly to Russia were demanding a resumption of Ukrainian grain shipments on which they depended.

Under the deal, Ukraine agreed to have Turkish and U.N. staff monitor the loading of grain on to ships at Ukrainian ports. Ukraine was not oblige to demine its waters off the Black Sea coast, but instead establish a safe corridor through which the ships could navigate.

Once in Turkish waters, the Joint Coordination Center — with representatives of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the U.N.— was established to inspect the cargoes. Russia and Ukraine agreed not to attack the cargo ships or ports involved in the grain shipments.

Ukraine apparently did not raise the issue of grain stolen from Russian-occupied territories in the talks to reopen grain shipments from its ports.

The Guardian reported that the U.S. and EU reassured businesses carrying Russian agricultural goods, particularly fertilizer, that they would not be violating sanctions ahead of the signing the deal.

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