Ship carrying first Ukraine grain cargo nears Syria -shipping sources

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The primary ship to depart Ukraine beneath a deal to renew grain exports from the nation two weeks in the past was approaching the Syrian port of Tartous on Sunday, two delivery sources mentioned, after the vessel had been crusing with its transponder off.

The Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni set sail from Ukraine’s Odesa port on Aug. 1 beneath the deal between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, however its location had not been clear previously days with out the transponder.

The cargo of 26,000 tonnes of corn had initially been destined for Lebanon, which has been struggling an financial disaster that has plunged about half of its inhabitants into meals insecurity.

Nonetheless, the unique purchaser refused the supply over high quality issues and the ship sailed to Turkey, docking in Mersin on Aug. 11.

When it set sail once more the next day, it didn’t hold its transponder on. Two delivery sources, certainly one of them in Tartous, confirmed to Reuters on Sunday that the ship was approaching the northwest Syrian port.

Ukraine has beforehand accused Syria of importing a minimum of 150,000 tonnes of grain it mentioned was plundered from Ukrainian warehouses after Russia’s invasion in February. Russia has denied stealing Ukrainian grain.

Ukraine minimize off diplomatic ties with Syria in June after Damascus recognised the independence of the jap areas of Luhansk and Donetsk.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Lebanon despatched Reuters a press release from the Ministry of Transport, which mentioned it was “not answerable for vessel and cargo after it has left the Ukraine, furthermore after vessel’s departure from (a) international port”.

“Our job has been to reopen seaports for grain cargo and it has been finished,” the assertion mentioned, including it had no details about the place of the vessel or cargo vacation spot.

In the meantime, the U.N.-chartered ship Courageous Commander will depart Ukraine for Ethiopia within the coming days, a U.N. official mentioned. It will likely be the primary humanitarian meals assist cargo certain for Africa since Russia despatched troops into Ukraine and beneath the framework of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

And the primary ship carrying Ukrainian wheat to be exported beneath the deal arrived in Istanbul on Sunday, the Joint Coordination Centre primarily based within the Turkish metropolis, mentioned.

(Reporting by Maya Gebeily, Jonathan Saul and Yoruk Isik; Modifying by Kirsten Donovan, David Goodman and Alison Williams)