Ukraine Defies Russia With Large Exports Via Black Sea Corridor

By Olesia Safronova

Dec 31, 2023 (Bloomberg) –Ukraine has exported 13 million tons of products through a shipping corridor in the Black Sea it established after Russia pulled out of a deal guaranteeing safe movement of vessels.

Ports accepted 430 vessels for loading since the channel was created in August, Ukraine’s infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday. 

Kyiv established the corridor to allow the shipping of critical commodities, especially grains, from its deep-sea ports after Moscow in July pulled out the United Nations-backed Black Sea grain deal that had guaranteed safe passage for crops.

Bridget Brink, the US ambassador to Ukraine, called the continued movement of cargo “a significant achievement as Ukraine continues to feed the world.” 

Ukraine’s ability to ship via the Black Sea comes as Russia has moved its Naval fleet there from Crimea to Novorossiysk in response to repeated attacks on vessels – the most recent coming on Dec. 26.

Read Also: Ukraine’s Risky Shipping Bet Pays Off

Supplies of British Storm Shadow and French Scalp cruise missiles have helped Ukraine tip the balance in its favor, Bloomberg reported last week, enabling it to evade air defenses to conduct accurate strikes on Russian targets. 

Russia’s fleet “is no longer able to operate in the western part of the Black Sea,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Oct. 24, calling it a “historic achievement” for his country.   

© 2023 Bloomberg L.P.

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update

— trusted by our 109,088 members