The first ship with Ukrainian grain arrived from Odesa to Istanbul, breaking through the Russian blockade
The second ship, the Aroyat, is to follow with a larger batch of wheat
The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain has arrived from Odesa to Istanbul despite a naval blockade by Russia, which in mid-July broke the grain deal and began bombing Ukrainian ports and elevators almost every night.
A Turkish bulk carrier flying the Palauan flag, Resilient Africa, left the Chornomorsk port on Tuesday with a small test shipment of 3,000 tons of wheat. On Thursday, it approached the Bosphorus. The second vessel, Aroyat, is to follow with a larger shipment of almost 20,000 tons.
Source. This was reported by the BBC.
The new maritime corridor cannot be compared to the previous one in terms of volume or security. However, for Ukraine, which is experiencing Russian aggression, every ship that enters the Black Sea with corn or wheat is vital. It needs to sell its harvest, and there are fewer and fewer routes for export every day because of Russian aggression and the dissatisfaction of neighboring EU countries with the influx of cheap Ukrainian grain.
The Kremlin's attempts to destroy Ukrainian grain exports, deprive Ukraine of revenue and get rid of its main competitor on the grain market threaten to escalate the situation in the Black Sea region and disrupt the supply of Russian grain, which will inevitably lead to a spike in world food prices, experts warn.
After withdrawing from the grain deal, Russia declared all ships sailing to Ukrainian ports military targets. Together with the mine danger, this closed the Black Sea route for Ukrainian exports for most sea carriers. Turkish President Recep Erdogan tried to convince Putin to restore a safe corridor from Odesa to Istanbul, but the Russian dictator refused.
As a result, Ukraine agreed with Turkey on an alternative route along the coast, and in late August, five bulk carriers blocked there since the Russian invasion last February left Ukrainian ports.
Military analyst Phillips O'Brien believes that the departure of the two bulk carriers from Odesa will have far-reaching consequences.
"This is a very important moment in the war at sea. And given the fact that Ukraine has no warships, it is also an important moment in naval history," said O'Brien, a professor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
However, experts warn that the conflict in the Black Sea could escalate at any moment.
Background. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Egypt will refuse a large shipment of Russian grain and will buy wheat from France and Bulgaria instead.
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