The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni sails under Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge after being inspected by Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and U.N. officials at the entrance of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. Razoni, loaded up with 26,000 tons of corn, is the first cargo ship to leave Ukraine since the Russian invasion, and set sail from Odesa on Monday, August 1, 2022. Its final destination is Lebanon. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
APTOPIX Russia Ukraine War
ISTANBUL (AP) — The first grain ship to leave Ukraine under a Black Sea wartime deal has passed inspection in Istanbul and is heading on to Lebanon. Ukraine says 17 other vessels at its ports are loaded with grain as well and waiting permission to leave but there was no word yet on when they could depart. Authorities said a joint civilian inspection team spent three hours Wednesday checking the cargo and crew aboard the cargo ship Razoni. A July 22 deal involving Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations aimed to ease food security around the globe by creating a safe corridor across the Black Sea. World food prices have been soaring and the war has blocked exports from Ukraine, a major global grain supplier.
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