Earlier on Saturday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that four general cargo ships loaded with grains will leave Ukrainian ports on Sunday.
"The Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) has authorized the departure of five new vessels through the maritime humanitarian corridor under the Black Sea Grain Initiative: four vessels outbound from Chornomorsk and Odesa carrying 161,084 metric tons of foodstuffs and one inbound," the office said in an operational update.
The MV GLORY vessel loaded with 66,084 metric tonnes of corn, MV STAR HELENA with a cargo of 45,000 metric tonnes of meal, MV RIVA WIND with 44,000 metric tonnes of corn, and MV MUSTAFA NECATI with a cargo of 6,000 metric tonnes of sunflower oil have been authorized to take the sea tomorrow, the statement read.
The office added that the ships are expected to be inspected upon their arrival at the anchorage area in Turkish territorial waters.
Moreover, the JCC has also authorized the movement of the MV OSPREY S that is currently at anchorage northwest of Istanbul and which will leave Istanbul for the Chornomorsk port after the inspection on Sunday.
On July 22, the UN-brokered Black Sea grain initiative was signed by Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey to ensure that food and fertilizer exports reach those in need from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea – Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny. Under the agreement, cargo carriers will be guided by Ukrainian vessels into international waters of the Black Sea, avoiding mined areas, and will then proceed toward the Bosphorus Strait along an established corridor.
The parties also established the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul on July 27, which comprises representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations. The center will monitor the implementation of the Black Sea grain initiative to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor for shipping exports and will carry out inspections of the cargo vessels to determine that they do not contain unauthorized goods or personnel.