Ukraine says 13 million tonnes exported through Black Sea corridor

Ukraine says 13 million tonnes exported through Black Sea corridor

Ukraine has pushed Russia's much larger navy away from its coasts, allowing the resumption of grain exports
Ukraine has pushed Russia's much larger navy away from its coasts, allowing the resumption of grain exports. Photo: Anatolii Stepanov / AFP
Source: AFP

Ukraine has exported about 13 million tonnes of merchandise on some 400 ships since setting up a protected maritime corridor in August to fend off Russian threats, a government minister said Saturday.

While Ukraine had few military achievements on land in 2023, on the Black Sea it has pushed Russia's much larger navy away from its coasts, allowing the resumption of grain exports.

Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said he was "grateful" to Ukraine's international partners "for ensuring the operation of the Corridor in conditions of military aggression".

The corridor was created in August to link Ukraine's ports to the Bosphorus Straits, several weeks after Moscow refused to agree on a new accord to allow cereal exports through the contested Black Sea.

The now-defunct accord had allowed Ukraine to export nearly 33 million tonnes of cereals and other foodstuffs over a year.

Read also

Eurostar cancels trains due to flooded UK tunnels

The sea route is particularly important now because several land border crossings have been blocked in recent months by Polish truckers unhappy with Ukrainian competition.

Russia had threatened to target ships arriving and leaving Ukrainian ports, and has attacked port and grain storage facilities.

A Panamanian-flagged grain carrier headed to a Ukrainian port hit a mine this week, wounding two sailors.

On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelensky saluted his country's maritime success, claiming that his forces had "reconquered the sea" this year.

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.