War in Ukraine: "Razoni" on a dangerous tour - First freighter leaves Odessa
Created: 08/01/2022 15:56
By: Florian Dörr
He was blocked for months.
Now the cargo ship "Razoni" has left the port of Odessa.
Several dangers lurked for the crew.
Odessa – It has been almost six months since the cargo ship “Razoni” was on the high seas.
Now it is time again.
On board: according to official figures, around 26,000 tons of corn.
On Monday morning (August 1) around 8 a.m., the 186-meter-long freighter left the port, the first transport ship since the beginning of the Ukraine war.
It was an extraordinary and dangerous undertaking.
Background: Because the first Russian warships approached Odessa in February, the Ukrainian army protected the port with sea mines.
They should help in the plan to prevent further attacks on Ukraine from the sea.
Port operations were suspended, and Moscow was later accused of blocking Ukrainian grain exports.
But on July 22, Russia pledged in an agreement that ships can leave three ports in Ukraine via a sea corridor without being attacked.
The agreement covers the Ukrainian ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny.
War in Ukraine: Freighter "Razoni" leaves Odessa - danger of attacks and sea mines
However, for the "Razoni" it is a delicate tour.
For one thing, it was unclear whether Moscow would keep its promises and respect the sea corridor.
Russia had shelled the port of Odessa just a day after the agreement reached in Istanbul, prompting concerns that the grain deal could collapse.
On the other hand, there was the danger of sea mines that could have broken loose.
The bulk carrier "Razoni" leaves the port of Odessa.
The ship, flying the Sierra Leone flag, is transporting around 26,000 tons of Ukrainian grain to Lebanon.
© Michael Shtekel/AP/dpa
Grain exports from the Ukraine are of enormous importance.
And for several reasons: on the one hand, millions of tons of grain should become available for the world market again.
After all, before the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine was one of the most important grain exporters in the world.
Food from Ukraine is urgently needed on the world market, especially in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
The United Nations recently warned of the worst famine in decades.
Grain exports from Ukraine important for Kyiv and the whole world
On the other hand, for the country itself it is about billions in revenue from the sale of wheat and corn, among other things.
According to
Spiegel
, the economy in Kiev could generate at least one billion US dollars (around 980 million euros) by opening the three ports.
The silos also urgently need to be cleared because of the new harvest.
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What's next after the "Razoni" left the port of Odessa?
The freighter and all following ships are monitored from a control center in Istanbul.
This is staffed by representatives from Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations and Turkey.
The Bosphorus Strait, which runs through Istanbul, is the only sea route from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.
Turkey has sovereignty over the Bosphorus.
Background to the control measure that was requested by Russia: This is to ensure that the cargo ships have no weapons or the like on board.
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