The Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine said on Wednesday that the first cargo ship left the Ukrainian port of Odessa on the Black Sea coast along the new sea corridor created by Kiev.
“The container ship Josef Schulte (…) left the port of Odessa and follows the temporary corridor established for civilian ships,” said Alexander Kubrakov, quoted in a press release.
This is the first cargo ship to leave the important port of Odessa in southern Ukraine since July 16, the Ukrainian minister stressed.
Russia has threatened to seize any ship going to or from Ukrainian ports as potential military targets after the Black Sea grain export deal expires in mid-July.
In response, Kyiv did the same with ships entering or leaving Ukrainian ports occupied by Moscow.
However, on August 10, Ukraine announced the opening of “temporary” corridors in the Black Sea, which are mainly controlled by the Russian navy, to ensure the movement of ships carrying its grain.
Since then, attacks on the Black Sea have increased on both sides, and the Russian army has repeatedly bombed Odessa, as well as the river ports of Izmail and Reni, in attacks that Kiev denounced as a way to hinder its exports.
This Wednesday, according to Odesa Oblast Governor Oleg Kiper, Russian drones also hit and damaged grain warehouses in the region.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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