Grain ship leaves Odesa for first time since Russia blockade on 'day of relief for world'

A ship carrying Ukrainian grain has left the port of Odesa for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion under an internationally brokered deal to unblock Ukraine’s agricultural exports and ease a growing global food crisis.

- Isobel Koshiw

The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, carrying 26,000 tonnes of corn, finally set sail for Lebanon yesterday morning, according to Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry, after weeks of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, led by Turkey and the UN.

The Russian blockade of Ukraine’s ports since the start of the war in February has stoked a worldwide grain shortage that has led the UN to warn of a looming hunger catastrophe.

“Ukraine, together with our partners, has taken another step today in preventing world hunger,” said Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s infrastructure minister. He stressed that Ukraine had done “everything” to restore the ports and said the lifting of the blockade would give Ukraine’s economy $1bn (£820m) in foreign exchange revenue.

The Kremlin said the news of the ship’s departure was “very positive ” and Turkey’s defence ministry said more ships would follow.

Kubrakov said 16 loaded vessels had been stuck in Ukraine’s ports since the Russian invasion began and that officials planned for the ports to regain full transport capacity in the coming weeks.