Ukraine's export by sea reaches 26 mln tonnes - Kiev

MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) - The sea corridor declared by Kiev unilaterally and the Danube River facilitated export of nearly 26 million tonnes, including over 18 million tonnes of products of Ukrainian farmers, since August 2023, Ukrainian media outlets said with a reference to a statement made by the Ukrainian Restoration Ministry on Friday.

A total of 854 vessels headed for 42 countries departed from the Greater Odessa ports, the statement said.

A total of 30 tonnes in total were exported via the sea corridor and the Danube since August. According to the ministry, 93% of products of Ukrainian farmers are exported by these routes.

"The volume of export by the Ukrainian corridor has almost reached the pre-crisis levels of export from the Yuzhny, Odessa, and Chernomorsk ports. A total of 6.8 million tonnes were exported by sea in December and 6.7 million tonnes in January. Albeit February is the shortest month of the year, we still hope to maintain the export rate no lower than in the previous months," Ukrainian Deputy Premier and Restoration Minister Alexander Kubrakov said in the statement.

"The Ukrainian corridor and the Danube ports currently account for over 90% of agricultural exports. In light of the blocking of our export on the western border, we are preparing to increase agricultural exports by the Danube bypassing the border with Poland. The Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company is already preparing barge caravans capable of transporting over 2,000 trucks every month," Kubrakov said.

The Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhy ports are expecting the entry of another 111 vessels to export 3.3 million tonnes of cargo after the loading.