The bulk carrier Fulmar S is the first ship to arrive in Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24. The vessel arrived on the evening of Saturday, August 6.

Oleksandr Kurbakov, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine has said that the ship has arrived in Ukraine as part of the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Grain and Food Products from Ukrainian Ports.

Kurbakov believes that the arrival of Fulmar S signals the beginning of the two-way operation of the "grain corridor", allowing ships to both enter and leave Ukrainian ports.

Kurbakov has added that "This event sends an important signal to the [global grain] market, indicating that the ‘grain corridor’ is a safe and, crucially, profitable business opportunity for ship owners who might be considering a return to Ukraine."

The dry goods cargo ship left the Turkish port of Bandirma in the Marmara Sea over 10 days ago. Up until August 2 the ship was anchored near another Turkish port, Pendik; then it was anchored near the Bosphorus Strait in the Black Sea until 5 August. It set sail in the direction of the Chornomorsk port in Ukraine at 15:50 on August 5.

On July 22, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, and the UN signed a so-called "grain deal" in Istanbul, an agreement to lift the blockade on Ukrainian food – and in particular grain – exports via the Black Sea.

On August 2, Turkish Ministry of Defence confirmed that the Razoni ship carrying grain cargo from Ukraine had arrived in Turkey as part of the "grain deal". On 3 August, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations at the Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul completed their inspection of the ship, the first ship to pass through the "grain corridor" from Odesa. The ship passed through the Bosphorus and headed for the Sea of Marmara.