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Oleksandr Kubrakov/Twitter
Food Crisis
First grain ship leaves Ukrainian port of Odesa
It is due to arrive in Lebanon.
A CARGO SHIP carrying Ukrainian grain has left the port of Odesa today.
The departure was the first since the Russian invasion on 24 February.
The ship was able to leave due to the work of partner countries of Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, Oleksandr Kubrakov, the Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine said.
The agreement allowing the ship – the Razoni, flying the flag of Sierra Leone – to leave was signed in Istanbul.
The US Embassy in Kyiv said that the agreement will “feed people around the world with millions of tons of trapped grain”.
The move had been flagged yesterday by a spokesperson for the Turkish presidency, who said that the ships had been loaded but “good logistical coordination” was needed at that point.
It is hoped that the deal to lift the blockade on Ukrainian grain exports will help ease global food prices, which have soared following the invasion.
The Marine Traffic website shows the ship is currently off the Odesa coast.
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