Almost 15 million metric tons of cargo had been exported through the temporary Black Sea corridor in the past five months, including 10 million metric tons of agricultural products, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Jan. 8.
The shipping route was opened in August 2023, weeks after Russia's unilateral termination of the Black Sea grain deal threatened Ukraine's ability to ship out its grain.
"In the five months of the corridor's operation, 469 new vessels arrived at our Ukrainian ports to receive cargo," Kubrakov said, according to his Facebook channel.
"Currently, 39 vessels are being loaded in the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi."
Some 83 other ships also confirmed they are ready to enter the ports and export an additional 2.4 million metric tons of cargo, the minister added.
The corridor was originally opened to allow the exit of vessels that had been docked at Ukraine's Black Sea ports since February 2022.
Since then, it has become a route for exporting Ukrainian goods such as grain and metal. Ukraine is a major agricultural producer, and its supplies play a major role in feeding countries across the world, namely in the Global South.
Despite successful Ukrainian strikes against Russian naval capabilities, Black Sea shipping continues to face risks wrought by the all-out war, namely floating mines.
Panama-flagged civilian cargo vessel hit a Russian mine in the Black Sea on Dec. 28, leading to two sailors being injured, Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces reported.
Dominic Culverwell
