First ship carrying grain departs from Odesa port - report

The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain departed from the Odesa port on Monday, Turkish media outlets said with the reference to the Turkish Defense Ministry.

The ship under the flag of Sierra Leone is headed to Lebanon, the Anadolu news agency reported.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry earlier said, citing the Joint Coordination Center, that the first vessel laden with grain will depart this morning from Odessa. "An agreement was reached that the Razoni ship under the flag of Sierra Leone, laden with corn, will depart from the port of Odessa at 08.30 am local time and will sail to Lebanon," the ministry said.

Two documents were signed in Istanbul on July 22 with the participation of the United Nations, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine to open a corridor for grain transportation from three Ukrainian ports, namely, Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Yuzhnyi.