First ship carrying grain leaves Odessa in deal to ease global food crisis

 

First ship carrying grain 

leaves Odessa in deal to 

ease global food crisis

By Dalton Bennett

 and 

Kareem Fahim

 

August 1, 2022 at 3:07 a.m. EDT

Ship awaits in the grain elevators section the port in the city of Odessa, Ukraine, 29th of July 2022. (Wojciech Grzedzinski/ For The Washington Post)

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ODESSA, Ukraine — The first ship carrying grain departed a Ukrainian port under a United Nations-brokered deal to ease a global food crisis sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The departure of the cargo vessel loaded with corn from Odessa on Monday came despite fears the deal, inked in late July, would fall apart after a recent Russian attack on the port.

The wail of a Ukrainian tug boat’s horn marked the departure of the Razoni, a Sierra Leonian-flagged bulk carrier that began the journey at 9:30 a.m. local, departing from the port. The ship was destined for Lebanon, according to Turkey’s Defense Ministry.

A Russian missile strike less than 24 hour after the deal was reached threatened the initiative. The passage of merchant ships from Ukraine along designated maritime corridors is being supervised by a coordination center in Istanbul, staffed by delegations from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations.

In a statement Monday, the center said that it had agreed to “specific coordinates and restrictions” along the maritime corridor, and “requested all its participants to inform their respective military” and other authorities to ensure the Razoni’s safe passage.

The ship, it added, was carrying more than 26,000 metric tonnes of corn and was expected to arrive in Turkish territorial waters on Tuesday.

Following inspection in Turkey, it would continue on to Lebanon, the statement said.

War in Ukraine: What you need to know

The latest: The United Nations has expressed hope that the first grain shipments from blockaded Ukrainian ports could start Friday. However, the exact coordinates needed to ensure a safe passage for ships were still being negotiated on Thursday, U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said.

The fight: Russia’s recent operational pause, which analysts identified in recent weeks as an effort to regroup troops before doubling down on Ukraine’s south and east, appears to be ending. Russia appears set to resume ground offensives, with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu telling troops on Saturday to intensify attacks “in all operational sectors” of Ukraine.

The weapons: Ukraine is making use of weapons such as Javelin antitank missiles and Switchblade “kamikaze” drones, provided by the United States and other allies. Russia has used an array of weapons against Ukraine, some of which have drawn the attention and concern of analysts.

Photos: Post photographers have been on the ground from the very beginning of the war — here’s some of their most powerful work.

How you can help: Here are ways those in the U.S. can help support the Ukrainian people as well as what people around the world have been donating.

Read our full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for updates and exclusive video.

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