05 August 2022; MEMO: Three more ships loaded with grain sailed from Ukraine on Friday under an UN-backed deal lifting Russia's blockade of the Black Sea, Turkiye's Defence Ministry said, Anadolu News Agency reports.
According to the report, the departure of grain ships came as Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Russian President, Vladimir Putin, are set to meet in Sochi for talks on ending the war in Ukraine and starting a new one in Syria.
"The Panama-flagged Navistar left Odessa for Ireland with 33,000 tonnes of grain", it said in a written statement.
"And two ships left the port of Chornomorsk — the Malta-flagged "Rojen" headed to Britain with 13,000 tonnes of grain, and the Turkish-flagged "Polarnet" sailed towards Turkiye with 12,000 tonnes of grain."
Last Wednesday, the first shipment of grain from Ukraine had passed inspection in Istanbul and was on its way to Lebanon on Wednesday, as Ukraine said 17 other vessels were "loaded and waiting permission".
A team of 20 inspectors from the two warring parties and the UN and Turkiye strapped on orange helmets and boarded the ship early on Wednesday for a mandated inspection that officials said lasted less than 90 minutes.
