The maiden ship to traverse the Ukrainian corridor in the Black Sea has made its passage through Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait, a witness from Reuters reported.
The container vessel, “Joseph Schult,” flagged under Hong Kong, set sail from the Ukrainian port of Odessa on the Black Sea, which had been besieged by Russia a few days prior. Intriguingly, the vessel had been anchored at the port since February 23, 2022, a day before Russia launched its sweeping invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine made headlines last week when it announced the establishment of a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea. This initiative was designed to facilitate the departure of cargo ships stranded in its ports following the conclusion of a grain export agreement last month.
Moscow, on the other hand, has remained tight-lipped about whether it would honor this shipping corridor. Sources from both the shipping and insurance sectors have voiced concerns regarding the safety of the passage.
Kiev emphasized that the primary purpose of this corridor is to assist ships marooned in Ukrainian harbors.
Local broadcast stations indicated that the vessel would dock at the Ambarlı port, located south of Istanbul.
