“The cargo ship Joseph Schulte (…) has left the port of Odessa and is sailing in the temporary corridor established for civilian ships”, announced Oleksandr Kubrakov, quoted in a press release.
This is the first freighter to leave the important port of Odessa, in southern Ukraine, since July 16, underlined the Ukrainian minister.
Russia has threatened to seize any vessel sailing to or from Ukrainian ports as potential military targets after the Black Sea grain export agreement expired in mid-July.
“The cargo ship Joseph Schulte (…) has left the port of Odessa and is sailing in the temporary corridor established for civilian ships”, announced Oleksandr Kubrakov, quoted in a press release.
This is the first freighter to leave the important port of Odessa, in southern Ukraine, since July 16, underlined the Ukrainian minister.
Russia has threatened to seize any vessel sailing to or from Ukrainian ports as potential military targets after the Black Sea grain export agreement expired in mid-July.
In response, Kiev did the same to ships entering or leaving Ukrainian ports occupied by Moscow.
On August 10, however, Ukraine announced the opening of “temporary” corridors in the Black Sea – largely controlled by the Russian navy – to allow the movement of ships transporting its cereals.
Since then, the number of attacks on the Black Sea has increased from both sides and the Russian army has repeatedly carried out bombings in Odessa, but also in the river ports of Izmail and Reni, in attacks denounced by Kiev as a way of hampering its exports.
Today, according to statements by the governor of the Odessa region, Oleg Kiper, Russian drones also hit and damaged grain warehouses in the region.
