The first official shipment of Ukrainian grain since Russia’s invasion reached Turkish territorial waters on Tuesday near the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait, according to an AFP team on site.
The Razoni cargo ship, which left the Ukrainian port of Odessa on Monday, is expected at 9 pm (1800 GMT) at the Black Sea entrance of the Bosphorus, the ministry said.
The Razoni, loaded with around 26,000 tons of corn, will continue to Lebanon after inspection in Istanbul, a process that authorities in those countries hope can be repeated for future shipments.
Both Russia and Ukraine countries were key suppliers of foodstuffs around the world before the war.
“The inspection of the ship by the joint inspection team will begin (Wednesday) morning,” the Turkish defence ministry said.
The delivery, which set off from the Black Sea port of Odessa on Monday, is the first under a UN-backed deal brokered with the help of Türkiye last month.
But Western-backed leaders in Kyiv accuse Russia of stealing Ukrainian grain in territories seized by Kremlin forces since their February invasion and then shipping it abroad.
Russia has been accused of blocking the exports and weaponizing hunger amid a looming food crisis. Moscow denies it is responsible for soaring food prices, instead blaming Western sanctions on Russia.
More than 20 million tons of grain from last year’s harvest are still awaiting export, according data from Ukraine.
