“The first grain ship after the Russian aggression left the port,” Oleksandr Kubrakov wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to the support of all our partner countries and the UN we were able to fully implement the agreement signed in Istanbul.” Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in July to reopen Black Sea ports to resume grain exports – shipments needed to ease the growing global food crisis. Russian navy to receive hypersonic missiles – watch Ukraine updates live Meanwhile, one of Ukraine’s richest men, a grain merchant, was killed in what Ukrainian authorities said was a carefully targeted Russian missile attack on his home. Oleksiy Vadatursky was the founder and owner of Nibulon, which specializes in the production and export of wheat, barley and corn and is headquartered in the port city of Mykolaiv – east of Odessa. Ship carrying 26,000 tons of corn The Sierra Leonean-flagged dry cargo ship Razoni is loaded with 26,000 tonnes of maize and left the port of Odessa at around 9.30am. (7.30am UK time) on Monday to go to Lebanon, Mr Kubrakov said. The vessel will be inspected in Istanbul before continuing to Tripoli, Lebanon. Russia and Ukraine signed separate deals with Turkey and the UN, paving the way for Ukraine – one of the world’s key breadbaskets – to export 22 million tonnes of grain and other agricultural goods stuck in Black Sea ports due to the conflict. Image: Razoni’s route to Lebanon Another 16 ships are waiting to leave Ukrainian ports through safe corridors, according to agreements signed in Istanbul, Mr. Kubrakov said. The agreement aims to allow safe passage of grain shipments in and out of Odessa, as well as Chornomorsk and the nearby port of Pivdennyi. The World Food Program also plans to purchase, load and ship an initial 30,000 metric tons of wheat from Ukraine on a UN-chartered ship, according to the UN. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:51 July 29 – Ukraine: Zelenskyy sees grain loaded A blockade by Russia’s Black Sea fleet since it invaded its neighbor has disrupted supplies to markets around the world and sent grain prices skyrocketing. Many people in the world’s poorest regions rely on shipments from the Black Sea for food. Moscow has denied responsibility, blaming Western sanctions for slowing its own food and fertilizer exports and Ukraine for mining its Black Sea ports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s harvest could be half of the usual amount due to the conflict. Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Spreaker He called the killing of Mr. Vadatursky “a great loss for all of Ukraine.” “It is these people, these companies, precisely southern Ukraine, that have guaranteed the food security of the world,” he said. The businessman’s net worth was $430 million (£350 million) in 2021, according to Forbes, and he was building a modern grain market with a network of transshipment terminals and elevators. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 3:01 Is Russia stealing Ukrainian grain? Read more: The Vanishing Ships – Russia’s Great Grain Loot Missiles hit Mykolayiv In Mykolaiv, Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych said more than 12 rocket attacks, possibly the most powerful in the city so far, hit homes and schools, with two people confirmed killed and three wounded. Russia suffered its own setback after detonating a small explosive device carried by an improvised drone at the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea. Six people were injured, prompting the cancellation of ceremonies there honoring the Russian navy, authorities said. Ukraine did not immediately claim responsibility – but the apparently improvised, small-scale nature of the attack raised the possibility that it was the work of Ukrainian rebels trying to drive out Russian forces.
