Second cargo ship leaves Ukrainian port despite Russian blockade

A second bulk cargo ship has left Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odessa despite Russia's naval blockade and unilateral decision in July to cancel an international deal allowing grain exports.

The ship, now named Primus and sailing under a Liberian flag, left port on Saturday morning, according to ship tracker MarineTraffic. It is unclear what cargo is on board.

The ship arrived in Odessa in February under the name Polarstar. It has since changed hands and now belongs to a Singapore-based shipping company.

The Russian naval blockade has already been circumvented. In August, the German container ship Joseph Schulte also left the port of Odessa and successfully followed an established corridor for merchant ships across the Black Sea designated by Ukraine.