5 Aug 2022 11:45

Three ships carrying Ukrainian grain leave Odesa ports - media

ISTANBUL. Aug 5 (Interfax) - Another three ships carrying Ukrainian corn have departed from Odesa ports, the Anadolu agency said on Friday with the reference to the Turkish Defense Ministry.

The ships are destined for Turkey, the UK, and Ireland with about 58,000 tonnes of grain onboard, the ministry said.

The ships are subject to an inspection by the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul.

The UN News portal reported earlier that the Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Center has cleared three more ships carrying Ukrainian corn to use the marine humanitarian corridor.

"The merchant ship Polarnet, anchored in Chornomorsk port, would leave [...] for Karasu in Turkey. The Rojen, also anchored in Chornomorsk, is due to leave [...] for Teesport, in the north of England, while the Navistar, anchored in Odesa, will set off with 33,000 tons of corn, bound for Ringaskiddy, Ireland," it said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian media outlets quoted Minister of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers Oleh Nemchinov as saying on social media that three bulkers, Navi Star, Rojen and Polarnet 57, have Ukrainian grain on board, which will be delivered to Turkey, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

This departure of vessels today will resume the operations of the Chornomorsk port, Nemchinov said.

"We hope that the security guarantees given by our partners from the UN and Turkey will continue to work, and the food exports from our ports will become stable and predictable for all market players," he said, adding that "to this end, the plan is to ensure that the ports are capable of processing more than 100 vessels per month."

Although the grain corridor has begun functioning, the main goal is to resume the full-fledged operations of ports in both directions, he said.

"We have received requests from vessel owners who are ready to enter our ports to be loaded with cargoes, and the first such event is expected to take place as soon as tomorrow. Our objective is to export three million tonnes of agricultural products or even more a month from the Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi [Yuzhnyi] ports," Nemchinov said.

The information provided by Nemchinov has been confirmed by Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov.