A meeting of the USPA with a delegation of the European Parliament took place in Odesa
22.04.2025 - 15:08
Odesa was visited by a delegation of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Security and Defense (SEDE).
The Head of the State Enterprise “Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority” Oleksandr Semyrha held a working meeting with a delegation of the European Parliament in Odesa, the USPA reported.
The visit focused on security challenges and the state of maritime infrastructure in wartime.
The meeting was also attended by the Head of the Regional Department of the Maritime Guard of the State Sea Ports Administration of Ukraine, Rear Admiral Oleg Kostur.
The parties discussed key aspects of the functioning of the port industry: the level of damage to the infrastructure, logistical and security challenges, as well as strategic priorities for the modernization and development of the industry.
Oleksandr Semirga told the European delegation about the situation in Ukrainian seaports. Thus, before the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 13 seaports were operating. Currently, only six remain operational: three on the Danube (Reni, Izmail, Ust-Dunaysk) and three in the Black Sea (Odesa, Chornomorsk, Pivdenny).
“Ukrainian seaports continue to operate under constant threat from Russia. Systematic missile and drone attacks have damaged about 400 infrastructure facilities, including berths, transshipment equipment, vessels and auxiliary equipment. Despite this, Ukrainian ports maintain operational efficiency thanks to the high professionalism and resilience of industry workers,” Semyrha emphasized.
He noted that currently the key task is to ensure the stability of the port system. In parallel, active work is being carried out on the technical upgrade of the fleet, the digitalization of processes and the improvement of management efficiency, which should ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry. Preliminary, the cost of the necessary technical upgrade is estimated at tens of millions of euros.“Port infrastructure today performs a critically important function for the national economy. We have a clear vision of further steps, but their implementation is impossible without the support of the European Union and international partners,” the head of the USPA concluded. Earlier, USM reported that the USPA presented priority infrastructure projects at the summit in Brussels.
