Minister: First vessel sails through temporary Black Sea corridor.

The first civilian vessel sailed from Odesa through the temporary Black Sea corridor, set up primarily to evacuate vessels docked in Ukraine's port since the start of the full-scale invasion, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov announced[1] on Aug.

16. The container ship Joseph Schulte sailing under the Hong Kong flag left Odesa's port, where it has been docked since Feb.

23, 2022. It is currently heading toward the Bosphorus with more than 30,000 metric tons of cargo onboard, including food, Kubrakov added.

The Ukrainian Naval Forces announced[2] the new temporary corridor on Aug.

10. The route is primarily meant to allow passage for ships that have been docked in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdenny since the start of the full-scale invasion. The Navy nevertheless warned that the military threat posed by Russian forces toward merchant vessels persists.

Ukraine proposed this route to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which has appealed to Russia to cease all threats and adhere to international conventions. Previously, the last merchant ship left Odesa's port on July 16 as Russia unilaterally terminated[3] the Black Sea Grain Initiative the day later. The deal, brokered in July 2022 by Turkey and the U.N., allowed Ukraine to export its grain even amid the ongoing full-scale invasion.

Risk of 'big disruptions' high in grain markets, says Black Sea expert

Since Russia refused to renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative - a U.N.-brokered deal to keep Ukraine's grain flowing from its Black Sea ports amid Russia's full-scale invasion - it has unleashed a campaign of attacks on Ukraine's port and grain infrastructure. In late July, Russia carried

[4] Martin Fornusek

News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press.

He also volunteers as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukrainer.

Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

References

1. ^ announced (mtu.gov.ua)
2. ^ announced (kyivindependent.com)
3. ^ terminated (kyivindependent.com)
4. ^ Risk of 'big disruptions' high in grain markets, says Black Sea expertSince Russia refused to renew the Black Sea Grain Initiative - a U.N.-brokered deal to keep Ukraine's grain flowing from its Black Sea ports amid Russia's full-scale invasion - it has unleashed a campaign of attacks on Ukraine's port and grain infrastructure.

   In late July, Russia carried (kyivindependent.com)