ISTANBUL (AP) — The first grain ship to leave Ukraine under a Black Sea wartime deal has passed inspection in Istanbul and is heading on to Lebanon. Ukraine says 17 other vessels at its ports are loaded with grain and waiting permission to leave. There was no word yet, however, on when they could depart. Authorities said a joint civilian inspection team spent three hours Wednesday checking the cargo and crew on the ship Razoni. The wartime deal aimed to ease food security around the globe by creating a safe corridor across the Black Sea. Elsewhere, Russian forces kept up their bombardment of a southern Ukrainian city but in the east, Ukrainian forces said they repulsed over a dozen Russian assaults in Donetsk province.
Inspectors OK 1st Ukraine grain ship but no sign yet of more
