Another 4 ships leave Ukraine through grain corridor - Turkish Defense Ministry

ISTANBUL. Aug 26 (Interfax) - Another four ships carrying food departed from Ukrainian ports on Friday consistent with the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the Anadolu agency said with reference to the Turkish Defense Ministry.

The ministry did not say where the ships were destined and what kind of grain they were carrying. It said, however, that grain continued to be loaded as planned.

Five ships were inspected in Istanbul earlier before heading to Ukraine to take food aboard.

Anadolu also said, quoting the Ukrainian infrastructure minister, that 39 ships carrying more than 850,000 tonnes of food had departed from Ukraine to date in accordance with the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The total number of ships that have departed from Ukrainian ports has reached 43, including four that sailed out today.

Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said on Wednesday that out of dozens of the first vessels with grain that departed Ukrainian ports as part of the agreements reached in Istanbul, only one was headed to Africa, even though supplying this continent was considered the main objective.

According to the UN, MV Brave Commander departed from Ukraine on August 21 with 23,300 tonnes of wheat onboard and headed to Djibouti. The Marine Traffic web portal says it is due to reach the destination on August 31.

Following the meeting of the UN Security Council, Nebenzya told journalists that the extensions of the Istanbul agreements would only be possible if all provisions of the documents, including those dealing with exports of Russian grain and fertilizers, are met.

On July 22, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations signed two documents to create a corridor for grain exports from three Ukrainian seaports: Chornomorsk, Odesa and Yuzhnyi. The joint coordination center based in Istanbul is in control of the process.