The Hong Kong-flagged container ship Joseph Schulte has left the port of Odesa and is going through the temporary corridor established for civilian vessels heading to/from the Black Sea ports of Ukraine, the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development has said.
The corridor will primarily be used to evacuate ships that were in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyy at the time of the full-scale Russian invasion.
"According to Navigation Warning No. 6 of the Ukrainian Navy, temporary routes for civilian vessels to/from the Black Sea ports of Ukraine have been in effect since 8 August 2023," the press release said.
Ukraine proposed this route in its application to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The IMO Council recognises Ukraine's international right to free commercial navigation and calls on Russia to stop any threats and to abide by international conventions.
The last time the vessel left the port of Odesa under the Grain Deal was on 16 July. Following the disruption of the Grain Deal, Russia has resorted to systematic air attacks on port infrastructure to stop Ukrainian agricultural exports.
The State Hydrographic Service of Ukraine has officially declared the waters of six Russian ports a military threat zone.