Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamia, said the bulk carrier Razoni, carrying Ukrainian grain, has changed its original course and is likely awaiting instructions for a new destination.
“Departing from the port of Odessa with the corn cargo said to be in the Lebanese port of Tripoli, Razoni changes its route before reaching the previously announced destination! “The data shows that it is waiting for instructions to identify its new target,” he said.
The Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon previously told Reuters that the ship was “delayed” and “did not arrive today”. At the same time, the diplomatic mission said nothing about the new arrival date and the reason for the delay.
Citing a source from the port management on 6 August, TASS reported that the cargo ship changed course and would arrive in Tripoli on the morning of 9 August.
According to Kommersant, with reference to data from the Maritime Traffic portal on 6 August, Razoni changed its status to “order”. This means that the ship is waiting for someone to buy its cargo.
The dry cargo ship is carrying corn to be used as fodder for chickens within the scope of the implementation of the agreement reached in Istanbul on July 22.
how far has the ship traveled
The Razoni ship left the Ukrainian port on 1 August as part of a “grocery deal” between Russia, Ukraine, the UN and Turkey. According to the statement made by the Ministry of National Defense, a Sierra Leone-flagged ship with 26 thousand tons of corn set off for Lebanon.
On the evening of August 2, the ship arrived in Istanbul for ammunition or weapons control.
By 4 August, the cargo ship crossed the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles and entered international waters. It was expected to arrive in Tripoli port on 7 August.
grain delivery to ukraine
A few days after Razoni’s departure, three more bulk carriers (Navistar, Rojen and Polarnet) left the Ukrainian ports and headed for Istanbul. The Ministry of National Defense announced that Navistar left Odessa under the Panamanian flag and was carrying 33 thousand tons of corn.
Rojen left for England from Chernomorsk. There are 13,000 tons of corn on board. Citing a source, ITV stated that the Maltese-flagged ship “should arrive in the UK on 14 August”.
The cargo ship Polarnet, which also left Chornomorsk, is sailing under the Turkish flag. There are 12 thousand tons of corn on the ship. The last stop of the delivery is Karasu port.
On August 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the sending of three dry cargo ships with grain from the country’s ports.
“Three ships carrying grain for export left our ports today – from Odessa, from Chernomorsk. There are approximately 60,000 tonnes of corn on board, which is expected by consumers in Turkey, the UK and Ireland. The first new ship since February 24 is also going to the port of Chernomorsk for loading,” he said.
The President of Ukraine described the continuous increase in exports as the main task.
“The more our grain is on the world market, the less will be the harvest of political chaos in countries only there, especially in Africa and Asia,” Zelensky said.
He also noted that there is a great demand for imported food in Europe this year.
Russia signed an agreement with Turkey on the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea on July 22. The Ukrainian delegation signed a similar part of the agreement separately from the representatives of the Russian Federation. In accordance with the agreements, the parties committed to establishing a safe corridor in the Black Sea for vessels carrying grain. Ships will be inspected to ensure that no weapons are carried on them. The safe passage of ships along the humanitarian sea corridor is monitored by a joint coordination center in Istanbul.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.