First Ukrainian grain shipment since invasion heads to Istanbul
Gulf Times
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, a Turkish Polarnet cargo ship is loading Ukrainian grain in a port in the Odesa region.
The first shipment of grain to leave Ukraine under a deal to ease Russia's naval blockade was expected in Istanbul "after midnight," as Kyiv said Tuesday it had begun mandatory evacuations from the war-torn Donetsk region.
The Sierra Leone-registered ship, Razoni, set sail from Odessa port for Lebanon Monday under an accord brokered by Turkey and the United Nations that it is hoped will get millions of tonnes of trapped Ukrainian produce to world markets and curb a global food crisis.
Turkish officials said it would arrive in Istanbul "after midnight".
The ship had cautiously made its way through a specially cleared corridor in the mine-infested waters of the Black Sea.
