| History | |
|---|---|
 Turkey | |
| Name | Azov Concord |
| Owner | Albros Shipping & Trading |
| Port of registry |  Valletta, Malta |
| Builder | Gelibolu Shipyard |
| Launched | 2008 |
| Identification |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | General cargo ship |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 141 m (462 ft 7 in) |
| Beam | 18 m (59 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power | 3145 KW |
MV Azov Concord is a Turkish-owned general cargo ship which was the first foreign ship to depart the port of Mariupol since the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Azov Concord is a general cargo ship with a gross tonnage of 6,483 GT and summer deadweight of 8,975 DWT. It is 141 metres (463 ft) long, has a beam of 18 metres (59 ft), and its engine produces 3,145 KW of power. [1]
In February 2022, Azov Concord was in port in Mariupol when the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine 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. [2]
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. 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 in southern Russia, where it anchored later that day. [2] [3] However, the vessel did not appear to be carrying a cargo of grain or other raw resources when it left Mariupol. [4]
Transport in Ukraine includes ground transportation, water, air transportation, and pipelines. The transportation sector accounts for roughly 11% of the country's gross domestic product and 7% of total employment.
The Sea of Azov is a sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow Strait of Kerch, and is sometimes regarded as a northern extension of the Black Sea. The sea is bounded by Russia on the southeast and by Ukraine on the northwest.
The Kerch Strait is a strait in Eastern Europe. It connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea in the west from the Taman Peninsula of Russia's Krasnodar Krai in the east. The strait is 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi) to 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) wide and up to 18 metres (59 ft) deep. The most important harbor, the Crimean city of Kerch, gives its name to the strait, formerly known as the Cimmerian Bosporus. It has also been called the Straits of Yenikale after the Yeni-Kale fortress in Kerch.
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