Turkey has launched an investigation into the origin of grain aboard the Russian-flagged cargo ship Zhibek Zholy, which is located off the Black Sea port of Karasu, Bloomberg reported with reference to high-ranking Turkish officials.

The vessel has not yet docked or unloaded and will remain in port until Turkish authorities determine the origin and trajectory of the cargo, officials said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov clarified that the cargo on board the dry-cargo ship was under a contract between Tallinn and Ankara, TASS reports.

The ex-tenant of the dry cargo ship detained in Turkey, the general director of the Navigator company Vyacheslav Igonin, said that he handed it over to the Kazakh company Kazmortransflot (KTMF) in November 2021 and now has nothing to do with the ship.

Earlier it was reported that Zhibek Zholy had been waiting for permission from the Turkish authorities to enter the port and unload since July 1, but did not receive it.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasily Bodnar said that Turkish customs officers detained a Russian cargo ship at the request of Kyiv, because Ukrainian grain is being transported on it.