Three more ships carrying grain leave Ukraine

Three more ships carrying Ukrainian grain to world markets left the ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk on Friday morning as part of a deal to unblock grain exports, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

Panama-flagged Navistar carrying 33 thousand tonnes of corn to Ireland, Malta flagged Rojen carrying 13 thousand tonnes of corn to the UK and Turkish flagged Polarnet carrying 12 thousand tonnes of corn to Turkey will all be inspected in the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, the ministry said.

The Ministry also published photos of the joint center teams thoroughly inspecting an empty ship heading for Ukrainian ports.

The pictures showed the inspection team looking into the hold and other areas of the Barbados-flagged ship Fulmar S, which was at anchor in the Black Sea to the north of Istanbul.

The team, consisting of Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and U.N. personnel searched the ship for one and a half hour while a coast guard helicopter and vessel patrolled the area, Anatolian Agency reported.

Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat exports. But Western sanctions on Russia and fighting along Ukraine's eastern seaboard have prevented grain ships safely leaving ports.

After months of diplomatic efforts by the United Nations and Turkey, a crucial deal between Russia and Ukraine was signed last month to reopen Ukrainian Black Sea ports for grain exports.