Ukraine says a container ship has left the Black Sea port of Odesa, using what it has described as a new temporary corridor for merchant ships to and from its ports, which are blockaded by Russia, France24 reports.

Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov identified the container ship as the Hong-Kong-flagged “Joseph Schulte,” saying it had been in the port since 23 February 2022, the day before the invasion.

Russia has been maintaining the sea blockade of the Ukrainian ports since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Last week the Ukrainian Navy announced the opening of a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea to release cargo ships trapped in its ports since the outset of Russia’s invasion.

Read more:

• Russian claim about inspection of cargo ship in Black Sea exposed as false– InformNapalm
• Russia claims it “inspected” a ship heading to a Ukrainian port, after which the ship continued its way
• Navy: Ukraine opens merchant ship registration for Black Sea corridors
• Ukraine’s Naval Forces: Ukraine announces temporary routes for commercial vessels