A Syrian ship that Ukraine says is carrying stolen Ukrainian grain has left a Lebanese port after officials in Lebanon allowed it to sail following an investigation, Lebanon's transport minister tweeted on Thursday.
The Syrian-flagged Laodicea had been anchored at the port of Tripoli since it arrived last Thursday, carrying 10,000 tons of wheat flour and barley. Ukraine says the grain was stolen by Russia, a claim it denies.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian Ambassador to Lebanon Ihor Ostash urged Lebanon not to allow the vessel to leave the port.
A judge on Wednesday said the Laodicea can sail, a day after Lebanon's prosecutor general decided the ship could leave after an investigation showed it was not carrying stolen Ukrainian grain.
Transport Minister Ali Hamie tweeted that “Syrian-flagged Laodicea is now outside Lebanon's territorial waters”.
It was not immediately clear where the ship is heading but Marine Traffic, a website that monitors vessel traffic and location of ships on seas, showed it moving toward the Syrian coast.
