Turkey-Ukraine Grain Export Ship

Shotlist

FILE: Odesa, Ukraine – Date Unknown (Courtesy of Ukraine Port Authority – No access Chinese mainland)
1. Aerial shot of grain silo

Odesa, Ukraine – July 23, 2022 (CGTN – No access Chinese mainland)
2. Vehicles moving
3. Various of harvester working
4. Various of grains of wheat on harvester
5. Wheat
6. Harvester working

Odesa, Ukraine – July 30, 2022 (CGTN – No access Chinese mainland)
7. Port scene

Odesa, Ukraine – July 23, 2022 (CGTN – No access Chinese mainland)
8. Smoke from Odesa port

Istanbul, Turkey – July 13, 2022 (CCTV – No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of ships sailing at sea

Storyline

The first grain-exporting ships will leave Ukraine’s port on Monday, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Sunday in an interview.

Kalin said the the joint coordination center in Istanbul will probably complete the final work on the exporting routes very soon.

According to media reports, the first grain-exporting convoy consists of 16 ships, and they will be tracked by drones and satellites after their departure from the port of Odesa. The convoy is expected to reach Istanbul, a city of Turkey, on Wednesday before heading to African countries.

The grain export has been disrupted since the conflict between the two major grain exporters, Ukraine and Russia, erupted in February.

Ukraine blamed Russia for blockading its ports at the Black Sea and causing over 20 million tons of grain stranded at ports, while Russia accused Ukraine of placing a large amount of underwater mines in waters near ports to endanger navigation.

Under the joint coordination, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations signed an agreement in Istanbul to reopen the blocked shipping routes on the Black Sea so that grain-exporting vessels can depart from and arrive at three ports in southern Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine also agreed not to attack each other’s grain-exporting ships.

Meanwhile, the four parties set up a joint coordination center in Istanbul to ensure the implementation of the agreement.

The center, consisting of five representatives from each party, started to work on July 27, and would track the journey of the ships through satellite, internet, and other means of communications.

According to the Ukraine authorities, its three ports at the Black Sea resumed operation on July 27.

All the routes must be carefully checked before shipment to eliminate underwater dangers. Meanwhile, the related parties prepare to send military vessels to nearby waters to escort grain ships.