Russian flagged cargo ship accused of carrying Ukrainian grain left Turkey

A Russian flagged cargo ship accused by Ukraine of carrying stolen grain to Turkey has left the port of Karasu on Thursday, Diken web site reported.

Zhibek Zoly, owned by Kazakh based KTZ Express and chartered without crew to Russian Greenline company, was detained by Turkey, after she left Berdyansk Port in Ukraine and anchored off Karasu, Turkey, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey had said. The Russian foreign ministry denied the claim. 

Diken said data tracked by the vesselfinder web site showed the ship was headed to Russia. 

 "The allegations are being investigated thoroughly. It is not written on the grain who it belongs to." Reuters cited an anonymous Turkish official as saying before the vessel left. 

Ukraine’s foreign ministry denounced the act and summoned Turkey’s ambassador in Kyiv.

“We regret that Russia’s ship Zhibek Zholy, which was full of stolen Ukrainian grain, was allowed to leave Karasu port despite criminal evidence presented to the Turkish authorities,” Foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Twitter.

We regret that Russia’s ship Zhibek Zholy which was full of stolen Ukrainian grain, was allowed to leave Karasu port despite criminal evidence presented to the Turkish authorities. Türkiye’s Ambassador in Kyiv will be invited to @MFA_Ukraine to clarify this unacceptable situation

— Oleg Nikolenko (@OlegNikolenko_) July 7, 2022

Grain shipments from Ukraine have been halted by Russia's invasion, causing global food shortages. United Nations appealed to confronting countries to open a sea corridor for grain exports in order to ease the risk of global famine.