“The second ship leaves the port of Odessa through a temporary passage” • Ukraine and Russia are fighting over drilling platforms in the Black Sea

For the second time, a cargo ship is using the temporary lane established by Ukraine Ships bypass the Russian blockade in the Black Sea. The Singaporean ship Primus, sailing under the flag of Liberia, left Odessa port today. This is what Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov wrote in X.

Since Russia withdrew the grain deal in July, it has threatened attacks on merchant ships docking at Ukrainian ports. Ukraine earlier this month announced a temporary corridor allowing ships to sail closer to the coast to bypass the Russian blockade.

Despite the threats, Russia left the first ship to use this route alone. Even when three cargo ships sailed to the Ukrainian port of Izmagil on the Danube, the Russian navy did not intervene. However, Russia recently stopped a Turkish container ship with warning shots. Russian marines boarded the ship and harshly interrogated the crew.

Another ship left Odessa today. Because of the Russian blockade, the Primus, like the previous ship that used the passage, was stuck in the port of Odessa for a year and a half. Even after the grain deal was signed in July last year, the ships remained anchored, because only agricultural products such as grain and fertilizer were covered in the deal. Primus is loaded with steel products destined for many African countries.

Dan DeVries