It was the first ship to leave Ukraine after Russia pulled out of the grain deal.
Earlier on Thursday, Reuters reported, citing the container ship’s co-owner BSM, that the ship was in Romanian waters and was due to reach Istanbul on Thursday evening. Joseph Schulte, flying the Hong Kong flag, has been in Odessa harbor since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
Ukraine has launched a corridor through the Black Sea
The Ukrainian navy announced last week the launch of a temporary humanitarian corridor through the Black Sea, which will be used by merchant ships waiting in ports in the coming days. The corridor is set to allow merchant ships to depart from Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivtenny, which remain in these ports from February 2022, the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In mid-July. The Kremlin introduced a de facto blockade of Ukrainian ports, withdrawing from a grain agreement to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. The agreement, concluded under the auspices of the UN, facilitates the export of food products to Ukraine and is effective from July 2022. After withdrawing from the deal, the Russians intensified their attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure.