In an article for USM, GOL Commercial Director Volodymyr Guz and GOL CEO Pavlo Linnyk explain why land logistics cannot fully replace sea exports and what alternative routes businesses are looking for. Just a month ago, Ukrainian sea exports were perceived as one of the few stories of stability in wartime. After the opening of…

After the intensification of Russian attacks on civilian vessels and port infrastructure, Ukrainian maritime exports have once again found themselves in a state of uncertainty.

USM spoke with Dmytro Barinov, President of the Association of Ports of Ukraine “Ukrport”, about how this situation affects the port business, traders and farmers, whether the Danube and land routes can replace deep-sea ports, as well as what is needed to return foreign vessels to the Ukrainian direction.

In July, Russia carried out a series of attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure. In particular, Russian strikes injured and killed sailors. The escalation of the situation led to the suspension of some ship calls at the ports of Great Odesa.

USM collects data on the situation with the Ukrainian maritime corridor in chronological order. The material is updated daily.

Despite the intensification of Russian attacks on the ports of Great Odesa, container logistics, although it has encountered its own difficulties, has not stopped: Ukrainian cargo continues to be served through European hubs, land routes and dry ports.

After the intensification of Russian shelling of the port and logistics infrastructure of the Odesa region, the work of the ports of Great Odesa has virtually stopped. Some shipowners have suspended operations to Ukrainian ports, and business has once again found itself in a situation where it is necessary to assess the direct risks to vessels, crews and cargo – and quickly look for alternative solutions.

USM has prepared a detailed material on what such a suspension could mean for Ukrainian exports, the freight market, insurance brokers, farmers, port operators and shipowners. Together with business and experts, we analyze how critical the current situation is, how to adapt logistics in the coming weeks and what will happen to the sea corridor in the event of further attacks by the Russian Federation.

In early July, Greenpeace activists went to the Baltic Sea to document the “Kira K” tanker of the so-called “shadow fleet,” which is under sanctions. Soon, a Russian warship accompanying the tanker approached the activists and began to warn Greenpeace.

The campaign was attended by Natalia Gozak, the director of Greenpeace Ukraine, who documented the entire incident involving the Russian warship. USM spoke with the activist about what the “Kira K” incident shows, why the ship’s appearance near the tanker is an important signal for the countries of the Baltic region, and what environmental risks such shipments pose.