UKRAINE
First cargo ship successfully crosses Ukrainian sea corridor
August 18, 2023 - The first civilian ship to sail from Ukraine since the end of the Black Sea grain deal has reached Turkey using a temporary shipping corridor established by Kyiv.
The Hong-Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte container ship that left the Russian-blocked Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa earlier this week had been in the port since Feb. 23, 2022, the day before the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine last week announced a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea to release cargo ships that have been trapped in its ports after the termination of the main grain exports deal last month.
Moscow has not indicated whether it would respect the shipping corridor, and shipping and insurance sources have expressed concerns about safety, according to Reuters.