Turkey has reported that the first ship to travel in the Black Sea with Ukrainian grain onboard is on schedule to safely arrive in Istanbul Tuesday night.
Turkey’s defense ministry said the ship, the Razoni, departed Odesa Monday night, carrying more than 26,000 tons of corn. When it arrives in Istanbul, it will be inspected by Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian and U.N. officials, and then it will travel to its final destination of the port of Tripoli in Lebanon.
The Razoni is the first to depart from Ukraine with a shipment of grain since the start of Russia’s invasion in February which prevented Ukraine from exporting its crops. The ship was able to leave Ukraine after Russia and Ukraine signed a United Nations agreement that allows for the safe passage of grain and other crop exports out of the country.
The deal is a positive step, as many in the world rely on the grain exports. However, there are some concerns as to whether or not Russia will observe the pact.
There are also concerns about how the Razoni, as well as future ships, will be able to safely navigate the conflict zone and avoid sea mines.
According to an anonymous senior Turkish official, if the safe passage agreement is observed, about one grain ship per day can be expected to depart from Ukraine.
