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kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – The first shipment of Ukrainian grain exported since the Russian invasion on February 24 arrived on the Black Sea coast north of Istanbul, following the agreement signed in July between kyiv and Moscow to try to alleviate the world food crisis.
The Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni set sail from Odessa shortly after 0900 local time (0600 GMT) on Monday with 26,000 tons of corn and reached Turkish waters shortly after 1500 GMT, ahead of the Ankara’s forecast expecting the freighter around midnight local time (21:00 GMT).
In Istanbul, the ship will be inspected by a delegation made up of Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian and UN representatives, Turkish Admiral Özcan Altunbulak, head of the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) that oversees these export operations, told reporters.
Grain has already left Ukraine during the conflict, but from Berdyansk, in the southeast, in the Sea of Azov, occupied by Russia.
Both the UN, the European Union (EU) and the Secretary General of NATO welcomed the departure of this first ship with satisfaction, although they called for the full application of the agreement.
“Too early to make predictions”
According to the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba, another 16 grain cargo ships “are waiting their turn” to set sail from Odessa, a key port city that, before the war, concentrated 60% of the country’s maritime activity.
President Volodímir Zelenski considered however that it was “too early to draw conclusions and make predictions”. “Let’s wait to see how the agreement will work and if security will really be guaranteed,” he said on Monday night, although he assured that it is “a first positive sign.”
The agreement, signed on July 22 in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by Turkey and the UN, allows Ukrainian exports to resume under international supervision.
The pact provides for the implementation of safe corridors to allow the movement of merchant ships in the Black Sea.
Russia and Ukraine are major agricultural powers, and their wheat, corn and sunflowers, in particular, supply the world market. It is estimated that between 20 and 25 million tons of grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports since the beginning of the invasion on February 24, sending prices soaring.
Russia called the ship’s departure “very positive” and hoped all sides would implement the deal, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov.
A similar agreement signed at the same time also guarantees Moscow the export of its agricultural products and fertilizers, despite Western sanctions.
Bombings continue in Ukraine
On the ground, the fighting continues and the Ukrainian authorities continue to count civilian casualties.
The head of the military administration of Kryviy Rih, Oleksander Vilkul, reported on Telegram the death of two civilians who were aboard a minibus trying to leave the occupied town of Starosillya. Five other people were evacuated, two of them seriously injured.
The city of Mikolaiv (south) was again “massively bombed” in the night from Monday to Tuesday. The town is close to the front lines in southern Ukraine, where kyiv forces are carrying out a counteroffensive.
In the neighboring region of Kherson, a city under Russian control since March 3, “the situation is tense,” according to the presidency. But Ukraine announced on Monday that it had retaken 46 occupied towns.
Artillery is decisive in this conflict, in which the Ukrainian and Russian armies seek to wear down enemy forces with ammunition.
The United States, Ukraine’s main supporter, announced on Monday the shipment of a new arms package worth 550 million dollars, which will include ammunition for HIMARS missile launchers and 75,000 155mm howitzers.
In Russia, the Supreme Court on Tuesday designated the Ukrainian Azov regiment, famous for having defended the city of Mariupol, as a “terrorist organization,” which could lead to harsh prosecutions against fighters taken prisoner by Russian forces.
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