Arthur Greene
For the first time since war broke out in February, a ship carrying grain has left the Ukrainian port of Odesa.
The Razoni, a ship flying under the Sierra Leone flag, is carrying around 27,000 tonnes of grain. It set sail in the early hours of Monday morning and is bound for the port of Tripoli in Lebanon.
Russia had been blockading Ukraine’s trade routes since the start of the invasion, but a landmark deal was reached between the two countries last month to resume shipments.
Before the start of the invasion, Ukraine was the world’s fifth biggest exporter of grain, and the second biggest exporter of grain to Africa.
Russia’s blockade created an immediate shortage in several countries that had been dependent on Ukrainian shipments. The cost of living rose dramatically and there were growing fears that a global food crisis was on the horizon.
One crew member told Reuters that setting sail was the “best feeling”.
“Everyone on the ship was very happy. I can say that it was the best feeling we have had in 2022,” Abdullah Jendi, a junior engineer from Syria, said.
However, Jendi also admitted that he was afraid of hitting naval mines on the way to Tripoli.
“This is the only thing that I fear during this trip. As for the other things, we are used to them as sailors.”
Just hours before the Razoni set sail, news broke of another stark reminder of the ongoing war. One of Ukraine’s richest grain tycoons was killed by a Russian missile overnight.
Oleksiy Vadatursky, 74, and his wife Raisa were killed in their home in the southern city of Mykolaiv.
Vadatursky had once received the “Hero of Ukraine” award and the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky described his death as a great loss.
Image source:Sada El Balad
