On May 17, the last ship left the Ukrainian port under the grain agreement, allowing for the safe export of grain through the Black Sea.
The ship DSM Capella departed from the port of Chornomorsk with 30,000 tons of corn and headed to Turkey, according to data published by the United Nations as reported by Reuters.
The United Nations and Turkey acted as mediators in the Black Sea deal for the first 120 days back in July of last year to help combat the global food crisis.
Moscow agreed to extend the Black Sea pact for an additional 120 days in November, but then in March agreed to extend it for 60 days until May 18, subject to certain requirements being met.
Last week, high-ranking officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations met in Istanbul to discuss the Black Sea pact. The UN representative Stephane Dujarric stated on Tuesday: "Contacts are continuing at various levels. Obviously, we are at an important stage."
Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that, in his opinion, the agreement could be extended for at least two more months.
Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations make up the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul, which conducts inspections of ships. Since May 4, the JCC has not allowed any new ships to depart.
In an excerpt from a letter reviewed by Reuters last month, Russia informed its colleagues at the JCC that it would not approve any new ships to participate in the deal if the transit is not completed by May 18. This was done "to avoid losses and prevent potential security risks" after May 18.
Under the grain agreement, Ukraine exported around 30.3 million tons of grain and agricultural products, including 625,000 tons on World Food Programme vessels to provide aid to Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Yemen.