Almost the entire Black Sea has been placed within the Joint War Committee’s expanded military risk zone. For shipowners, this means longer periods of additional insurance coverage, and for cargo owners, a potential increase in freight and logistics costs.

USM spoke to market participants about how much the new risks will cost and how they could change Black Sea and Danube logistics.

At the backdrop of the suspension of the ports of Great Odesa, the logistics market is undergoing a large-scale restructuring: business is adapting, taking into account risks, looking for new ways of export-import and at the same time trying to keep delivery times and costs acceptable to customers.

USM talks about the current challenges and thoughts of the Ukrainian logistics sector using the example of Marine Service Ukraine, which provides comprehensive customs brokerage and forwarding services. Read below to find out what MSU Executive Director Tetyana Shevchuk said about logistics from the inside in these chaotic times.

During the years of occupation, Russia has formed a stable system for exporting stolen Ukrainian grain: the same ships that regularly enter closed ports, shell companies, fake documents about the origin of the cargo, as well as buyers willing to work with “toxic” grain.

After increasing risks for sea exports, Ukraine is again actively looking for alternative routes for cargo. One of these directions was railway transit through Moldova, where the local railway agreed to a 50% discount on the transportation of Ukrainian goods until the end of 2026.

In the text, USM, together with TEUS owner and director Dmytro Kazanin, explains why this decision is important for exports and imports and how it can change logistics through Reni, Izmail, Giurgiulesti and Romanian ports.

After the Russian Federation intensified its attacks on Ukrainian ports and civilian vessels, Ankara has shown that it is ready to use control of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles as leverage.

For Ukrainian exports, this means a new risk premium – even before the straits are actually closed. USM spoke with experts in the maritime and agricultural industries to find out how Turkey’s decision could affect shipping and the freight market.

After the suspension of container lines to the ports of Great Odesa, some of the cargo destined for Ukraine began to be redirected to Constanta, Romania. For importers, this means additional paperwork, new port costs and the need to organize the delivery of the container to Ukraine.
Founder and CEO of SafeLogic Oleksandr Tsurkan explains what to do after being notified of a change in the port of discharge and what costs and delays to consider.