First ship to use Ukraine's corridor arrives in Istanbul - Reuters witness

Hong-Kong-flagged container ship Joseph Schulte transits Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -The first vessel that used Ukraine's Black Sea corridor is crossing through Turkey's Bosphorus Strait, a Reuters witness said on Friday.

The Hong-Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte container ship that left the Russian-blocked Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa earlier this week had been in the port since Feb. 23, 2022, the day before the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.