- A ship carrying 26,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain that was stranded is heading back to Turkey.
- The Joint Coordination Centre told Insider that the Razoni is heading to the Turkish port of Mersin.
A Ukrainian ship that was temporarily stranded off the Turkish coast after its cargo was rejected over quality concerns, is on the move again after finding a new buyer for its shipment, according to the UN agency monitoring its journey.
The Razoni, which is carrying 26,000 tonnes of corn, has found a new buyer and is heading to the Turkish port of Mersin, the UN-led Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) which is monitoring its journey, told Insider. A spokesperson for the body said it had spoken to a shipping agent representing the Razoni.
The Razoni was temporarily in limbo, anchored off the Southern coast of Turkey after its shipment was rejected by the original buyer, the Financial Times reported, citing unnamed shipping agents.
The fortunes of the Razoni have been closely monitored since it left the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa on August 1. The ship is the first to do so under a UN-brokered agreement between Ukraine and Russia to restart exports and lift the blockade of the Black Sea that started at the beginning of the war.
Ukraine is often referred to as the Europe's "bread basket" — because its exports account for around 10% of the world's supply of wheat — and there are significant concerns that the war could contribute to a global food crisis. The problem is particularly acute for countries in the Middle East and Africa which rely heavily on grain imports to feed their population.
A total of 14 ships have so far left Ukraine as part of the initiative, which is being overseen by the JCC.
The Razoni traveled to Turkey for inspection, and was originally set to arrive in the Lebanese port of Tripoli Sunday morning. It then emerged later on Sunday that the ship was delayed, per the Associated Press.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Lebanon tweeted Monday that the buyer of the grain refused to accept the original delivery terms after a delay of five months to the shipment.