The information is confirmed by Ukraine's Minister of Infrastructure and also the Turkish Ministry of Defense, which writes in a statement:
"The cargo ship 'Razoni', sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone and loaded with corn, leaves Ukraine bound for Lebanon."
More exports are expected
Turkey has stated that more ships will leave Odessa during the day, TT reports.
According to the UN, the first ship is loaded with over 26,000 tons of corn.
The ship is expected to reach Istanbul on Tuesday.
After an inspection, the ship will continue towards Lebanon, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced.
Risk of starvation
The stoppage of grain exports during the war in Ukraine has greatly worsened the food supply in several countries.
Already in June, the UN food program WFP warned that the war was one of several significant factors that could lead to a deadly crisis.
"Rings on the water are driving millions of people in several countries around the world towards poverty and starvation," they wrote in a press release, adding that the sharp rise in food and fuel prices is creating political unrest that increases the risk of conflict.