A freighter carrying maize from Ukraine has reached Turkey, becoming the first vessel to reach its final destination since a deal was made to release stores of food stuck in Black Sea ports since the war began.

The Turkish-flagged Polarnet reached Kocaeli, on the Sea of Marmara, on Monday, state news agency Anadolu reported.

So far, 10 grain ships have departed from Ukrainian ports, according to the Turkish Defence Ministry, with the Razoni the first to set off for Lebanon on Monday last week.

However, its arrival has been delayed.

The shipments are taking place following a deal reached in July to release millions of tons of grain blockaded in the ports of Ukraine, a critical food producer known as the breadbasket of Europe.

The shipments are seen as essential for stabilizing grain prices on global markets amid fears of famine in the Middle East and Africa.

Under the agreement, Ukraine pledged to guide the ships through waters that had been mined, and Russia promised not to target the ships and certain port infrastructure.

The deal’s brokers – the UN and Turkey – are helping safely coordinate the exports and monitoring the shipments to make sure the vessels are not smuggling weapons into the war zone.

More than 20 million tons of grain from last year’s harvest are still awaiting export, the Ukrainian authorities said earlier this month. 

(dpa/NAN)