First grain ship leaves war-ravaged Ukraine in UN-brokered deal to ease global food shortage

The first Ukraine grain shipment departed Monday from the port of Odesa under a United Nations-brokered deal that releases food stockpiles from the Russia-invaded country into foreign markets to ease a global food crisis.

Over 26,000 tons of corn left the port on a Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship for Lebanon, according to the Associated Press. 

"The first grain ship since Russian aggression has left port," tweeted Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov, who included a video of the vessel heading out to sea.

The deal was also brokered by Turkey. Russia in February invaded Ukraine, the fourth-largest corn exporter in the world, which put any of the country's grain-carrying ships at risk of being attacked at sea.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the ship’s departure is very positive" and that the voyage saying it would help test the "efficiency of the mechanisms that were agreed during the talks in Istanbul," the wire service also reports.