The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain left the port of Odessa today under a deal that is expected to release large supplies of Ukrainian crops to foreign markets and ease a growing hunger crisis.
The cargo ship “Razoni” under the flag of Sierra Leone left Odessa for Lebanon, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced.
In a statement from the United Nations, it is stated that the Razoni is carrying over 26,000 tons of corn.
Data from Razoni’s automatic identification system, a security tracker for ships at sea, showed the ship slowly pulling out of its moorings in the port of Odessa along with the tugboat.
The ship is expected to arrive in Istanbul tomorrow, where it will be inspected before being allowed to proceed, the ministry said.
The corn will be headed to Lebanon, a tiny Middle Eastern country in the grip of what the World Bank has described as one of the world’s worst financial crises in more than 150 years.