Four grain ships leave Ukrainian ports under Russia-Ukraine agreement

Aug. 21 () –

Turkey’s Defense Ministry reported Sunday that a total of four ships with grain have departed from Ukrainian ports thanks to the protection agreement signed last month in Istanbul between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations.

“A total of four ships departed: two from the Ukrainian port of Chernomorsk, one from Odessa and one from Yuzni. In addition, one Ukrainian ship and five ships going to Ukraine will be inspected today,” the Turkish Ministry of Defense said on its official Twitter profile.

The agreement went ahead after the sides agreed to a UN-sponsored plan to form a coordination center in the city of Istanbul with the aim of carrying out joint inspections at port entrances and exits and ensuring the safety of the routes.

Ships cross the Black Sea to the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey, where the joint coordination center is located, which is responsible for examining ships entering Ukraine to ensure that they are not carrying weapons or combat materiel.