1st caravan of grain ships leaves Ukraine

KIEV, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The first caravan of ships carrying grain left Ukraine's Black Sea ports on Friday under a landmark deal to prevent a global food crisis, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.

"Three bulk carriers NAVI STAR, ROJEN and POLARNET carry 57,000 tons of Ukrainian corn destined for Türkiye, Great Britain and Ireland," Kubrakov wrote on Facebook.

Three Ukrainian ports, namely Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny, could export about 3 million tons of grain per month, Kubrakov said, adding that Ukraine could also import agricultural goods via the Black Sea.

According to government plan, the three ports may soon handle more than 100 vessels per month, Kubrakov said.

On July 22, Ukraine and Russia separately signed a deal with Türkiye and the United Nations in Istanbul to resume food and fertilizer shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea.

On Aug. 1, the first cargo vessel carrying grain left the Ukrainian port of Odesa for the port of Tripoli in Lebanon.