For the first time since July 16, when Russia unilaterally withdrew from the "grain deal", the ship "JOSEPH SCHULTE" (flag of Hong Kong) departed from the port of Odesa. It took advantage of a temporary corridor for merchant ships.

This was announced by Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov.

"The container ship "JOSEPH SCHULTE" left the port of Odesa and is moving along the temporary corridor established for civilian ships to / from the Black Sea ports of Ukraine. On August 16, 2023, the container ship, which has been in port Odesa since February 23, 2022, left the Vorontsov lighthouse and heads for the Bosphorus," his post reads.

On board – more than 30 thousand tons of cargo (2,114 containers), including food.

According to Kubrakov, the corridor will primarily be used to evacuate ships that were in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Yuzhny at the time of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. According to the navigation order of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine No. 6, temporary routes for civilian vessels to / from the Black Sea ports of Ukraine began to operate from August 8, 2023.

"Ukraine proposed this route in its appeal to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The IMO Council recognizes Ukraine's international law to free merchant navigation and calls on Russia to stop any threats and comply with international conventions," the minister said.

Recall that on the night of August 16, Russians struck with drones in Odesa region.

Read also:

• Exacerbation at the front: the military told about the situation in one of the hottest areas
• Russians hit Odesa region with drones: what is known about the hit
• Russia again attacked Ukraine with drones, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are advancing in two directions - General Staff

Subscribe to our channels in Telegram and Viber.