Ship carrying Ukrainian grain sets off
The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain set off from the port of Odesa on Monday under a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey that is expected to release large stores of Ukrainian crops to foreign markets and ease a growing hunger crisis. The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni left Odesa for Lebanon, Turkey's defence ministry said.  A statement from the United Nations said the Razoni was carrying over 26,000 tons of corn. Data from the Razoni’s Automatic Identification System, a safety tracker for ships at sea, showed the vessel slowly coming out from its berth at Odesa port on Monday morning alongside a tug boat. Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov tweeted a video of the long cargo ship sounding its horn as its headed out to sea. “The first grain ship since Russian aggression has left port,” Kubrakov said on Twitter. “Thanks to the support of all our partner countries and the UN, we were able to full implement the Agreement signed in Istanbul. It’s important for us to be one of the guarantors of food security.” The ship is expected to reach Istanbul on Tuesday, where it will be inspected, before being allowed to proceed, the ministry said. The corn will then head to Lebanon. (AP)