First Maritime Grain Shipment Leaves Ukraine under UN Initiative

The first grain shipment since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sailed from the Black Sea port of Odesa, under the UN-brokered agreement in Istanbul last week (22 July). The ship, Razoni, left Odesa this morning for Lebanon, traveling along a safe corridor established under the deal.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said, “This is an important first step. The UK and our allies have pushed hard for this outcome. We are grateful to the UN and Turkey for helping to secure this agreement.

“Russia has felt the full weight of global pressure and the eyes of the whole world will now be watching to see if they continue to weaponize global food supplies as they have been until now," she added.

“These ships must receive safe passage. There must be no repeat of Russia’s shelling of the port of Odesa." Truss noted, stressing, “The only way Putin can truly alleviate the global food security crisis he has created is by ending his brutal invasion of Ukraine.”

The main parameters of the Istanbul grain initiative include: safe access through a maritime corridor to Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi ports a UN-led command and control center in Istanbul to monitor vessels and assess threat levels checks on inbound and outbound vessels to ensure that only grains are being moved a commitment from all parties not to attack merchant or other civilian vessels, or port facilities, covered by the plan.