Six vessels remain stranded in Greater Odessa ports

MOSCOW. Aug 24 (Interfax) - Six vessels with 262,000 tonnes of cargo onboard remain stranded in the Greater Odessa ports, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) said in response to an enquiry from Ukrainian media.

"According to the USPA's information, six vessels with 262,000 tonnes of cargo, mostly general, were blocked in the Greater Odessa ports as of August 23," the statement said.

Earlier reports said that the Joseph Schulte container ship flying the flag of Hong Kong left the Ukrainian port of Odessa and reached the Bosporus Strait. It was the first vessel to use the temporary passage in the Black Sea.

The Joseph Schulte container ship had been moored in Odessa since February 23, 2022. It had 2,000 containers and 30,000 tonnes of cargo, including food, onboard.