MV ''Azov Concord'' is a

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

-owned general

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

which was the first foreign ship to depart the port of Mariupol since the start of the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

Description

''Azov Concord'' is a general cargo ship with a gross tonnage of and summer deadweight of . It is long, has a beam of , and its engine produces 3,145 KW of power.

History

In February 2022, ''Azov Concord'' was in port in Mariupol when the

broke out. The escalation in hostilities trapped the ship in the port city, along with five other foreign-flagged merchant ships, for months. During this time, the ship sustained damages as a result of the siege of Mariupol which were eventually repaired. By May, talks between Russia and Turkey were underway to establish a maritime corridor in the Black Sea in order to allow Turkish merchant ships, including ''Azov Concord'', to export essential goods including grain from

Russian-occupied Ukraine Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine are areas of Ukraine that are currently ''de facto'' controlled by the Russian government in the course of the Russo-Ukrainian war. In Ukrainian law, they are defined as the "temporarily occupied territo ...

. During this time, the port of Mariupol fell and was occupied by Russian forces. On 22 June, Russian media and Turkey's defense ministry announced that the ''Azov Concord'' was the first foreign ship to leave the port of Mariupol since the invasion began. The vessel made for the port of

Novorossiysk Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...

in southern Russia, where it anchored later that day. However, the vessel did not appear to be carrying a cargo of grain or other raw resources when it left Mariupol.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Azov Concord Cargo ships of Turkey 2008 ships