First ship with grain has left Turkey: Grain cargo has left port

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Published: Today 07.01 

Updated: Today 09.17 NEWS 

The first ship with Ukrainian grain left the port of Odessa on Monday morning, Turkish authorities said. 

"The cargo ship 'Razoni', which sails under the flag of Sierra Leone and is loaded with corn, is leaving the port of Odessa bound for Lebanon," announced the Turkish Ministry of Defense during the morning. 

The ship is expected to reach Istanbul in Turkey on Tuesday. There it will be inspected before continuing to Lebanon, the Ministry of Defense says. 

According to the UN, the ship is loaded with over 26,000 tons of corn. The agreement between Ukraine and Russia reached over a week ago stipulates that cargo ships from three ports - Odessa, Pivdenny and Chornomorsk - will be guaranteed safe passage through the Black Sea. 

Nearly 25 million tons of wheat and other grains have been stuck in Ukrainian ports, which are blocked by Russian warships and mines deployed by Kyiv to prevent an attack from the sea. 

Ukraine is normally one of the world's largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but exports have largely come to a standstill since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.