A Sierra Leone-flagged cargo vessel loaded with crops is about to set sail for Lebanon, according to the Turkish military
A ship carrying Ukrainian grain will depart from the port city of Odessa on Monday morning for the first time in months, the Turkish Defense Ministry has said. The freighter will be the first of many set to sail under a deal negotiated last month with Russia.
The Turkish Defense Ministry identified the vessel as the Razoni, a dry cargo ship registered in Sierra Leone. Its ultimate destination is Lebanon, the Turkish military said.
The Defense Ministry said the ship was scheduled to depart at 8:30 am local time on Monday. An hour after the deadline, the Razoni remained moored in Odessa, according to maritime trackers.
There have been no sea cargo shipments out of Ukraine since the Russian attack in late February. Ukraine accused Russia of imposing a naval blockade in the Black Sea, thereby contributing to a surge in global food prices.
READ MORE: Major buyer cancels Ukrainian wheat deal– Reuters
Moscow rejected the allegations, saying its navy was offering safe passage to traders on a daily basis, and arguing that Ukraine was preventing ships from leaving its ports and deploying sea mines along its shores, creating a threat to maritime traffic.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
RT (Russia Today) is a state-owned news organization funded by the Russian government. The information provided by this news source is being included by the Libertarian Hub not as an endorsement of the Russian government, but rather because it is being actively censored by Big Tech, Western governments and the corporate press. During times of conflict it is imperative that we have access to both sides of the story so we can form our own opinions, even if both sides are spewing their own propaganda. The censorship of RT, despite likely being a propaganda outfit for the Russian government, reduces our ability to hear one side of the conflict. For that reason, the Libertarian Hub will temporarily republish the RSS feed from RT. Visit https://rt.com