5 More Grain-Carrying Ships Leave Ukrainian Ports

Five more ships carrying corn and wheat set off from Ukrainian ports on Tuesday under a recent landmark deal signed in Istanbul, according to Türkiye's National Defense Ministry.

According to the ministry, two ships departed from the port of Yuzhny and three from Chornomorsk, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest.

Four other ships en route to Ukraine will also be inspected by the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul on Tuesday.

On July 22, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal in Istanbul to reopen the Ukrainian Black Sea ports of Yuzhny, Chornomorsk, and Odesa for exporting Ukrainian grain stuck due to the Russia-Ukraine war, which is now in its sixth month.

To oversee the process, the Joint Coordination Center was officially launched on July 27, comprising representatives from the three countries and the UN to enable safe transportation of commercial foodstuffs and fertilizers by merchant ships.

The first ship left Ukraine on Aug. 1 under the deal brokered by Türkiye and the UN. -