Czech Republic expands support for Ukraine in protecting shipping in the Black Sea

The Czech Republic confirmed its readiness to support Ukraine’s shipping capacity as a critical factor in stability in the global food market.

During a working visit to Odesa, Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba met with President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Development of Ukraine.

The main focus of the conversation was on shipping safety, support for Ukrainian communities and further reconstruction of the country. According to Kuleba, the negotiations took place in conditions of another attack by kamikaze drones.

“We met in the city of Odesa, which is terrorized by Russia every night. It was during our meeting that the Russian Federation launched three groups of shaheeds into the city. The entire civilized world must see Russia’s crimes against Ukraine,” the minister commented.

He stressed that since the summer of 2023 alone, Russian troops have fired more than 450 missiles at Ukrainian port infrastructure, but Ukraine continues to fulfill its role as a guarantor of global food security. Thus, since the beginning of the Ukrainian corridor, the ports of Greater Odessa have transported more than 110 million tons of cargo.

Separately, Kuleba thanked the Czech Republic for military assistance, in particular, for the supply of Neptune anti-ship complexes mounted on the chassis of Czech Tatra trucks. In total, over the three years of full-scale war, Prague provided support worth $900 million — from humanitarian programs to equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“The Czech Republic is one of the leaders among countries that systematically assist Ukraine,” the official emphasized.

The day before, USM wrote that Russia destroyed or damaged 385 port infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.