Second vessel uses Black Sea temporary corridor to export grain, three more heading to Ukrainian ports

The Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov announced this.

It is known that the vessel AROYAT (flag of Palau) with 17.6 thousand tons of Ukrainian wheat for Egypt left the port of Chornomorsk.

"This is the second vessel to use the temporary corridor for civilian vessels to enter the port of Chornomorsk to export agricultural products to Asian countries," the statement reads.

It is noted that the crew of the AROYAT vessel are citizens of Egypt, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Belgium and Albania.

Instead, according to the Ministry of Reconstruction of Ukraine, citing Kubrakov, three more new vessels are heading toward Ukrainian ports to load export products.

"The bulk carriers AZARA, YING HAO 01, and ENEIDA have confirmed their readiness to use the temporary corridor for civilian vessels and are heading towards the ports of Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk," the minister said.

According to him, after loading over 127,000 tons of Ukrainian agricultural products and iron ore, the ships will sail to China, Egypt, and Spain.

The grain corridor: more details

On 17 July, Russia announced the termination of the grain deal. In response, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it was necessary to continue using the grain corridor despite Russia's withdrawal from the agreement. 

On August 4, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said that Ukraine would send ships with its own grain to wherever it deems necessary and would not ask anyone for permission.

On August 10, the Ukrainian Navy announced a temporary humanitarian corridor for merchant ships sailing to and from Ukrainian ports.

On August 12, Ukraine opened the registration of merchant ships and their owners who are ready to use temporary routes to Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

On August 16, the first vessel left the port of Odesa after Russia announced that it would terminate the grain deal on July 16, 2023.

On August 26, the second vessel left the port of Odesa, and on September 1, two more vessels blocked due to the war left the port of Pivdennyi in the Odesa region.

On the same day, Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said that the first civilian ships had confirmed their readiness to use the route to the Chornomorsk port to load almost 20,000 tons of wheat for Africa and Asia.

On Tuesday, September 19, the vessel RESILIENT AFRICA left Odesa's Chornomorsk port via a temporary corridor: it was loaded with 3,000 tons of wheat.

Later, global wheat prices began to decline immediately after the first ship with grain left one of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, for the first time since July when Russia announced its withdrawal from the grain deal.