Over 1,000 civilian ships defy Russia, transit Ukraine’s Black Sea “grain corridor”
Over 1,000 civilian vessels have exported around 30 million tons through Ukraine's "grain corridor" in the Black Sea, defying Russian efforts to deter maritime traffic and undermine international support.
Over 1,000 civilian ships have transited Ukraine’s “grain corridor” in the Black Sea, despite Russia’s attempts to blockade the sea and persistent efforts to undermine international confidence in the corridor.
The Ukraine-established grain corridor has allowed Ukraine to resume maritime exports of agricultural commodities from its Black Sea ports amid the Russian sea blockade after the Russian withdrawal from the UN- and Türkiye-brokered so-called grain deal that allowed the Ukrainian grain exports as far as the Russians can inspect the ships.
Over 1000 ships have departed Ukraine’s Black Sea ports carrying almost 30 million tons of cargo, including grain, to the rest of the world. Despite Russia’s brutal war, Ukraine has continued to support jobs and businesses, grow its economy, and supply the world with vital goods. pic.twitter.com/Mu4VBm1SP1
— Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) March 9, 2024
Russia started the blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports from the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In August 2022, the first commercial vessel carrying Ukrainian grain left Odesa Port under the grain deal brokered by Türkiye and the UN. Over the subsequent year, Russia suspended the deal several times and delayed the inspection of the vessels, demanding to ease Western sanctions against Russia.
Finally, in July 2023, Russia withdrew from the deal along with a threat to consider all vessels as potential military targets.
Later in July, Ukraine informed the UN shipping agency about establishing a temporary shipping route to maintain grain shipments after Russia quit the Black Sea grain agreement. The temporary corridor has been adjacent to Romania and Bulgaria along the western Black Sea coast. In August, Ukraine announced temporary routes for commercial vessels sailing to and from Ukraine’s Black Sea seaports.
In August 2023, a civilian ship used the Ukrainian corridor to depart from a Ukrainian port for the first time, and in September 2023, a ship reached a Ukrainian port using the same corridor for the first time.
