MOSCOW, September 3. /TASS/. Four ships have sailed through the temporary corridor in the Black Sea, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on Sunday.
"Four ships have already passed along our new alternative maritime corridor from our southern seaports," he said in a video address on his Telegram channel.
The Hong Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte container vessel was the first to sail along Kiev’s temporary corridor from the port of Odessa on August 16.
On August 10, the Ukrainian Navy announced the opening of temporary corridors in the Black Sea for merchant vessels sailing to or from the ports of Chernomorsk, Odessa and Yuzhny. Kiev warned that the risk of military attack and collision with mines persisted on the route, so passage would be granted only to vessels whose owners and captains officially confirm their readiness to sail in such conditions. It was stated that the pathways would be primarily used to allow exit to the civilian vessels that had been stranded in these Ukrainian ports since the end of February 2022.
On July 17, Russia refused to continue its participation in the grain deal, which was reached a year ago to ensure safe exports of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. The deal also provided for creating conditions for exporting farming products and fertilizers from Russia. Moscow explained its withdrawal from the deal by the non-implementation of the part of the deal related to Russian exports to the global market.
Later, the Russian defense ministry warned that following the termination of the grain deal from midnight on July 20, Moscow will view all ships sailing across the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports as shipping military cargoes and their flag countries will be considered as involved in the Ukrainian conflict on Kiev’s side.