New Ships Heading to Ukrainian Sea Ports
Several new ships are making their way to Ukrainian sea ports through a recently opened corridor. This corridor has been established as an alternative route for predominantly agricultural exports after Russia blocked the Black Sea grain deal. According to the MarineTraffic database, five vessels are currently en route to the ports: Olga, Ida, Forza Doria, New Legacy, and Danny Boy.
The Ukrainian government set up a temporary “humanitarian corridor” to allow safe passage for their exports after Russia withdrew from the previous agreement. The MarineTraffic database shows that three cargo ships have already left Ukrainian Black Sea ports after loading.
Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov announced that three cargo ships were heading towards Ukrainian Black Sea ports to export food and steel. Specifically, the bulk carriers Azara, Ying Hao 01, and Eneida were scheduled to transport 127,000 metric tons of agricultural products and iron ore to China, Egypt, and Spain.
In the past, Russia closed off the Black Sea ports, which greatly affected Ukraine’s grain exports. Moscow justified this action by claiming it was necessary to prevent the smuggling of weapons. However, the ports were reopened in July 2022 through a UN and Turkey-brokered deal that allowed Russia to inspect ships for arms.
Unfortunately, Russia abandoned the agreement a year later and reinstated the blockade, citing unfair terms for its own food and fertilizer exports. The new corridor provides a much-needed alternative for Ukrainian exports, ensuring their agricultural products can reach international markets through the sea ports.