Ukraine Grain Ship, Bound for Lebanon, Anchored Off Turkey For Inspection

By Staff, Agencies

The first cargo ship to leave Ukraine since the beginning of the special Russian military operation was anchored at an inspection area in the Black Sea off the coast of Istanbul Wednesday morning, awaiting an inspection.

Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and UN officials will check if the grain shipment is in accordance with a crucial agreement signed last month by Moscow and Kiev to unblock Ukraine's agricultural exports and ease the global food crisis.

The Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, loaded up with 26,000 tons of corn, set sail from Odesa Monday. Its final destination is Lebanon.

The ship was anchored off the coast of Istanbul, near the mouth of the Bosporus Straits that connect the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and on to the Aegean Sea.

More ships from Ukraine are expected to set out in the coming days. Some 27 vessels have been waiting in three Ukrainian ports with cargo and signed contracts, ready to go, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.