A second ship managed to leave the Ukrainian port of Odessa through a temporary lane for civilian vessels

A ship carrying steel products left for Africa Ukrainian port of Odessa Ukraine’s government announced Sunday that it has crossed a temporary passage into the Black Sea, the second ship to do so since Russia withdrew from a grain export deal.

“The cargo ship Primus, flying the Liberian flag and belonging to a Singaporean company, left the port of Odessa and entered the passage temporarily set up by civilian ships,” the Ukrainian construction ministry said.

The ministry added, according to what Deutsche Welle quoted information from the agencies: “It is the second ship to use the corridor.”

In mid-July, Russia withdrew from the agreement that allowed the export of Ukrainian grain through the country’s southern ports, starting in mid-2022, with the mediation of the United Nations. Then he threatened to treat all ships as potential military targets.

In response, Ukraine opened this “temporary” passage into the Black Sea in early August, which is largely controlled by the Russian navy. Since then, the region has witnessed a military escalation by the armies of the two countries.

A Hong Kong-flagged container ship stuck in the port of Odessa since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this month sailed away without being attacked.

During the year the agreement was in effect, the three seaports of Odessa shipped tens of millions of tons of grain.