5 more grain-loaded ships leave Ukraine under Istanbul accord

Five more ships have departed from Ukrainian ports under a landmark Istanbul deal for the resumption of the country's grain exports, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

Without disclosing the ships' points of departure or destinations, a statement from the ministry said grain shipments from Ukrainian ports continued as planned.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February.

A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN has been set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

Since the first vessel sailed under the deal on Aug. 1, at least 100 ships have carried over 2.5 million tons of agricultural products from Ukraine.