Grain freighter on the move for Ukraine

This is evident from the ship tracking services vesselfinder.com and marinetraffic.com. These included the freighter African Robin, which the United Nations says was loaded with wheat, the freighter SK Friendship, which was loaded with soybeans, and the Sealock, which was loaded with peas.

According to the United Nations, these ships, along with three other cargo ships, departed from Ukrainian waters on Sunday toward the Black Sea corridor protected by the agreement. The Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure also mentioned a ship called “Ikaria Angel”, which sails on behalf of the UN World Food Programme. The cargo of 40,000 tons of grain is destined for Ethiopia.

Based on the previous agreements, the cargo ships will initially be piloted by Ukrainian ships in international waters. Then they continue in a corridor that all parties agreed on in July. However, on Saturday, Russia canceled the agreement brokered by Turkey and the UN. This was justified with Ukrainian drone strikes.

The deal had ended months-long blockades on Ukraine’s grain exports over the Russian war of aggression. It was originally set to expire on November 19, but would have been automatically extended if neither side had objected. Moscow has repeatedly criticized Western sanctions slowing down its own grain and fertilizer exports.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that his country will continue its efforts to export grain. Also on Monday, according to a plan by the delegations of the UN, Ukraine and Turkey, 16 more ships should sail through the corridor. Russia was notified, it said.

(SDA)