No ships wrapped in Ukrainian ports. The sea corridor was empty

Shipowners halted ship calls to Ukrainian Black Sea ports after a series of Russian ship strikes and port infrastructure. For the first time since the launch of the Ukrainian sea corridor in 2023, there has been no traffic on it.

No vessels in open ports

Ukraine has not closed its ports or introduced restrictions on shipping. Shipowners decided to halt the ship-turning have decided that the threat in these waters has become too high.

On July 21, four or five ships entered Ukrainian ports. A day later, the movement stopped completely. President Volodymyr Zelenski confirmed that not a single ship entered ports on July 22.

This is the first such case since August 2023 when Ukraine launched its own sea corridor after Russia withdrew from cereal agreements. According to the Ukrainian Maritime Port Administration, more than 197 million tonnes of cargo, including 117 million tonnes of cereals, have since been exported by this route.

Strike series changed the risk assessment

A decision by shipowners shall not result from a single incident. In recent weeks, the number of strikes on merchant ships, transhipment terminals and other port infrastructure in the Odski Oblast has increased.

According to the Ode Ode District, 28 merchant ships were hit from June 20 to July 20. 21 sailors and port workers died. Subsequent units were also damaged in the following days, including a ship heading for the Ukrainian port which was hit about 20 nautical miles from the Romanian coast.

The scale of the threat caused some shipowners to start withdrawing ships from the previously concluded transport contracts. By mid-July, freight brokers reported that more and more companies were refusing to send units to Ukrainian ports. Shopping was also stopped cereals intended for export by sea.

Maersk moves charges to Constanta

One of the first large companies to respond officially to the deterioration was Maersk. The Danish shipowner suspended the connection to the Fishery Port in Montenegro until the cancellation.

Import charges to be landed in Montenegro will be directed to Romanian Constance. Maersk will do the same with shipments located in Port Said or going to that port of transhipment. Exporters were offered to change the port of loading from Black Sea to Constance.

The ports of the Odska agglomeration still work formally. However, this does not mean that they are able to receive and discharge loads at the current rate. The destruction of terminals, the withdrawal of ships and the increasing insurance costs limit the possibility of regular operation maritime transport.

The Danube and the railway will take only part of the cargo

The Ukrainian authorities indicate the Danube ports and rail terminals as an alternative to transport through the Black Sea. Some of the cargo can re-enter the ports over the Danube and then to Constance. Transhipments on the western border of Ukraine may also be of greater importance.

However, these routes will not fully replace the Black Sea ports. In June, the Ukrainian authorities estimated that monthly transhipments in the Ode ports could fall from around 6 million to 4 million tonnes. Some million tonnes per month can be channelled to the Danube terminals, but further growth reduces infrastructure costs and capabilities.

An additional problem is the low water level on the Danube. Transportation of barges is slower and more expensive, and throughCargo In Constancy extends the cargo path and increases the demand for wagons, trucks and warehouse surfaces.

A few days does not prevent export from being blocked

It is not yet known how long the ships will be bypassing Ukrainian ports. The agricultural minister Taras Wysocki estimated that a few days or even a few weeks' break did not have to significantly affect the annual level of exports. Serious effects will occur if the wraps are not resumed for several months.

Ukraine has already lost about one third of its export opportunities for grain via ports The Black Sea. This is particularly severe, because more than 90% of Ukrainian agricultural exports passed through three ports in the Ode region.

Kiev can keep ports open and announce additional measures for maritime safety. However, it will not force private shipowners to ship to a place where sailors are killed. If the threat does not decrease, the formally functioning sea corridor will remain empty, and an increasing part of Ukrainian exports will hit more expensive and less efficient routes through the Danube, railway and Constanta.