CHORNOMORSK (dpa-AFX) – The civilian cargo ship “Resilient Africa” left the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk on Tuesday despite the Russian naval blockade. The freighter was transporting 3,000 tons of wheat, wrote Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Olexander Kubrakow, on the X platform, formerly Twitter. “Resilient Africa” is one of the first two foreign freighters to call at a Ukrainian port since the end of the grain agreement that was canceled by Russia.
The freighters “Resilient Africa” and “Aroyat” arrived in Chornomorsk on Saturday. According to Kubrakow, the ships’ shipping companies have expressed their willingness to load around 20,000 tons of wheat for African and Asian countries. Both ships fly the flag of the Pacific state of Palau and, according to Kiev, their crews consist of citizens of Ukraine, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Egypt.
Russia has blocked Ukraine’s Black Sea ports as part of its war of aggression. In July, the Russians did not extend an international agreement for the export of Ukrainian agricultural exports from a total of three ports – including Chornomorsk. Ukraine then established a temporary corridor for civilian ships to use at their own risk.
According to the ship information service MarineTraffic, the “Resilient Africa” is now on the open sea in the Black Sea with Israel as its declared destination. The “Aroyat” is currently still in port. According to Kubrakow, she is being loaded there with grain that is to be transported to Egypt./ash/DP/nas