Ship bound for Istanbul from Ukraine runs aground in Bosphorus Strait in Turkey

Istanbul [Turkey], September 2 (ANI): A vessel heading from Ukraine to Istanbul ran aground in the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey after which the strait is closed to traffic, according to the Turkish Directorate General of Coastal Safety.
"Tugs KURTARMA-5, KURTARMA-6, KURTARMA-9, KURTARMA-12, NAZIM TUR and boats KEGM-3, KEGM-5 were sent to the scene of the incident to the 173-meter cargo ship LADY ZEHMA, which ran aground due to rudder failure while sailing from Ukraine to Istanbul. Vessel traffic in the Istanbul (Bosphorus) Strait is suspended," the official Twitter handle of the watchdog said.
A deal was signed by representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Nations, involving the export of Ukrainian grain, food, and fertilizers.
According to reports, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence last weekend said that the volume of grain shipped from Ukrainian ports under the UN-brokered grain deal is 1.043286 million tonnes.
"The shipment of grain, which began with the departure of the first ship from the Odesa port of Ukraine on August 1, 2022, continues safely and routinely. To date, the volume of grain transported from Ukrainian ports is 1.043286 million tonnes," the ministry had said in a statement.
On July 22, multilateral agreements on lifting restrictions on the supply of Russian products for export and on Moscow's assistance in exporting Ukrainian grain were signed in Istanbul.
Millions of people in the world's poorer nations that face an imminent danger of starvation breathed a sigh of relief on hearing the news that these desperately needed quantities of grain will reach the market and grain prices may become affordable once again.
In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there was a de facto blockade by Moscow of ports in the Black Sea, while Ukraine mined the waters to deter Russian attacks.
The ports used to export Ukrainian grain were blocked for commercial shipping and, as Ukraine is a major grain exporter, prices of this essential commodity surged, becoming unaffordable for millions of poor people facing acute hunger.
As both Ukraine and Russia are among the largest exporters of grain in the world, the blockade has caused grain prices to soar. Ukraine could not export its grain and other agricultural produce due to the blockade, while international shippers and insurers were reluctant to conclude contracts with Russians in case they run afoul of US and EU sanctions.
Following diplomatic efforts by the UN and Turkey lasting more than two months, an agreement was reached that port facilities and vessels would be safeguarded from hostilities.
Ukraine is regarded as the "breadbasket of Europe" supplying 10 per cent of the world's wheat, 12-17 per cent of the world's maize and half of the world's sunflower oil. Twenty-five million tonnes of corn and wheat - the entire annual consumption of all the least developed countries.
Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, which the West has termed an unprovoked war. As a result of this, the Western countries have also imposed several crippling sanctions on Moscow. (ANI)