Inspectors OK First Ukraine Grain Ship but No Sign yet of More

Inspectors OK First Ukraine Grain Ship but No Sign yet of More
The cargo ship Razoni is anchored at the entrance of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul on Aug. 3, 2022. Khalil Hamra/AP Photo
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ISTANBUL—The first grain ship to leave Ukraine and cross the Black Sea under a wartime deal passed inspection Wednesday in Istanbul and headed on to Lebanon. Ukraine said 17 other vessels were “loaded and waiting permission to leave,” but there was no word yet on when they could depart.

A joint civilian inspection team spent three hours checking the cargo and crew of the Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, which left Odesa on Monday carrying Ukrainian corn, a U.N. statement said.