First Ukrainian Grain Ship Sails Since the War

According to a report on August 1st, the first merchant ship loaded with Ukrainian grain successfully sailed from the Ukrainian port of Odessa since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov tweeted, “The first grain ship since #RussianAggression has left port. Thanks to the support of all partner countries and @ UN we were able to fully implement the Agreement signed in Istanbul.”
The Turkish defense minister said earlier that the Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship was destined for Tripoli, Lebanon. He added more grain cargo ships will leave the port in the future.
Separately, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the news that the first Ukrainian grain vessel had sailed smoothly. According to a statement issued by the United Nations, especially in the fragile humanitarian context, he hopes more commercial ships will transport food in and out of ports smoothly to maintain the food security and supply stability that is urgently needed around the world.
As reported, the Russian army blocked Ukrainian ports at the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in February this year, resulting in prices soaring and food shortages in many places. Fortunately, in the end, under the mediation of the United Nations and Turkey, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement to resume Ukrainian grain exports in July, aiming to alleviate the food crisis since the war.