Another three ships leave ports of Odesa via Black Sea corridor amid Russia’s blockade

Another three ships traverse the Ukraine-established temporary Black Sea corridor, leaving Greater Odesa ports amid Russia's blockade. So far, a total of 33 ships have used the corridor. The post Another three ships leave ports of Odesa via Black Sea corridor amid Russia’s blockade appeared first on Euromaidan Press.

Oct 17, 2023 - 21:52

On the morning of 17 October, three ships – Bull, Ramus, and Bahar K – left Odesa ports via the temporary Black Sea corridor established by Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing de-facto blockade of the Ukrainian seaports. This is according to the Center for Transport Strategies (CTS), referring to data from vessel traffic monitoring services, Ukrinform reports.

On the same day, another vessel – the cargo ship Briza – was heading to one of the Ukrainian ports, according to the report.

The Bull, a Panamax type bulker, had a substantial deadweight of 82,000 tonnes and entered the Ukrainian port for loading on 12 October. The other two vessels, Ramus and Bahar K, had deadweights of 6,000 tonnes and 8,300 tonnes respectively, entering the port via this temporary route on 13 October.

As per the CTS’s estimates, a significant number of 33 vessels, including the cargo ship Briza, have utilized this newly announced route to access the ports of Odesa Oblast. In total, 57 ship passages in both directions have been recorded since its implementation.

Russia maintains a de-facto blockade of Ukrainian seaports from the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Last summer, the UN and Türkiye brokered a “grain deal” with Russia to enable Ukrainian agricultural exports by sea. Russia, however, exited the deal this summer, jeopardizing the exports.

In response, Ukraine announced temporary routes for merchant vessels on 10 August 2023. The primary intent was to ensure civilian vessels could continue their operations amidst Russia’s increased maritime aggression, thereby demonstrating Ukraine’s commitment to safeguarding its maritime trade.

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The post Another three ships leave ports of Odesa via Black Sea corridor amid Russia’s blockade appeared first on Euromaidan Press.