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Grain ship leaves Ukraine port for first time since Russia blockade
Isobel Koshiw
Isobel Koshiw reports for us from Kyiv:
The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, carrying 26,000 tons of corn, has left the port of Odesa, destined for Lebanon. It is the first departure since the start of the Russian invasion, according to Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry.
“Ukraine together with our partners has taken another step today in preventing world hunger,” Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, said in a statement on Monday.
Kubrakov stressed that Ukraine had done “everything” to restore the ports and said the lifting of the blockade would give Ukraine’s economy $1bn in foreign exchange revenue.
Ukraine’s infrastructure minister said 16 loaded vessels had been stuck in Ukraine’s ports since the Russian invasion began, and officials planned for the ports to regain full transport capacity in the coming weeks.
But the world is watching to see if Russia sticks to its side if the bargain, after an attack on Odesa port a week ago.
Russia agreed to allow grain ships to leave Ukraine and to not attack them, in a deal signed on 22 July in Istanbul. But less than 24 hours later, the veracity of the deal was cast into doubt when Russian forces struck Odesa port.
When questioned by Turkey’s defence minister, Russia at first denied it was involved in the attack. But the next day it issued a statement saying it had struck a Ukrainian vessel carrying western weapons that was in the port. Ukraine’s authorities rejected Russia’s explanation.
Read more of Isobel Koshiw’s report from Kyiv: Grain ship leaves Ukraine port for first time since Russia blockade
Key events
Here is a video clip issued by the Ukrainian ministry of infrastructure of the departure of the Razoni from Odesa.
Reuters reports that the Kremlin has said in a short statement that the news of the first ship carrying grain to leave Ukraine’s port of Odesa under a deal brokered by Turkey is “very positive”.
Russia’s ministry of defence has issued its daily operational bulletin, in which it has claimed to have killed at least a further 250 Ukrainian service personnel, and injured at least the same amount.
The report, however, covers several days, listing attacks that the ministry said took place on 28 July and 29 July.
The report lists a large amount of military equipment that Russia says it has destroyed. It also claims 13 Ukrainian drones have been shot down. None of the claims have been independently verified.
This is a short video clip posted to social media that appears to show the Razoni on her way out of Odesa.
A moment: The Razoni making her way out of the port of Odesa with 26,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain.
A small but significant start . pic.twitter.com/7CpoaoqtdM
— James Waterhouse (@JamWaterhouse) August 1, 2022
Here are some of the latest images that we have been sent over the news wires from Ukraine.
The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) has issued its daily operational briefing. It claims that one person was killed and nine civilians were injured in shelling by Ukrainian forces on eight of the settlements it claims to control. It says 19 houses and two civil infrastructure facilities were damaged.
The DPR says: “At present, the DPR and Luhansk People’s Republic troops, with fire support from the Russian Federation armed forces, have liberated 263 settlements.”
The claims have not been independently verified. Russia, Syria and North Korea are the only UN member states to recognise the DPR and the similarly self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic as legitimate authorities.
Here is a reminder of the mechanics of the grain export deal.
There are some images emerging of the Razoni in Odesa as it becomes the first ship to depart under the new grain export arrangement.
The first 🇺🇦 grain ship since #RussianAggression has left port. Thanks to the support of all our partner countries & @UN we were able to full implement the Agreement signed in Istanbul. It’s important for us to be one of the guarantors of 🌏 food security. pic.twitter.com/jOz3bdmdfB
— Oleksandr Kubrakov (@OlKubrakov) August 1, 2022
The ship is bound for Lebanon, and carrying 26,000 tonnes of corn.
Grain ship leaves Ukraine port for first time since Russia blockade
Isobel Koshiw
Isobel Koshiw reports for us from Kyiv:
The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, carrying 26,000 tons of corn, has left the port of Odesa, destined for Lebanon. It is the first departure since the start of the Russian invasion, according to Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry.
“Ukraine together with our partners has taken another step today in preventing world hunger,” Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s infrastructure minister, said in a statement on Monday.
Kubrakov stressed that Ukraine had done “everything” to restore the ports and said the lifting of the blockade would give Ukraine’s economy $1bn in foreign exchange revenue.
Ukraine’s infrastructure minister said 16 loaded vessels had been stuck in Ukraine’s ports since the Russian invasion began, and officials planned for the ports to regain full transport capacity in the coming weeks.
But the world is watching to see if Russia sticks to its side if the bargain, after an attack on Odesa port a week ago.
Russia agreed to allow grain ships to leave Ukraine and to not attack them, in a deal signed on 22 July in Istanbul. But less than 24 hours later, the veracity of the deal was cast into doubt when Russian forces struck Odesa port.
When questioned by Turkey’s defence minister, Russia at first denied it was involved in the attack. But the next day it issued a statement saying it had struck a Ukrainian vessel carrying western weapons that was in the port. Ukraine’s authorities rejected Russia’s explanation.
Read more of Isobel Koshiw’s report from Kyiv: Grain ship leaves Ukraine port for first time since Russia blockade
Reuters is carrying a little more detail on the first ship expected to depart the port of Odesa under the Turkey-brokered grain export deal – although there has been some conflicting information about destinations and timings.
The Turkish ministry of defence is quoted as saying the Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni will set off from Odesa port for Lebanon with its cargo of corn.
The ministry went on to say: “Deployment of other ships are planned within the scope of the determined corridor and method.”
Ukrainian officials have said there are 17 ships docked in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports with almost 600,000 tonnes of cargo. Of them, 16 hold Ukrainian grain with a total volume of about 580,000 tonnes.
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