Putin's Black Sea Blockade Thwarted as Shipments Resume

Ukraine has reported a big increase in the export of agricultural goods like grain from the Black Sea, despite Russia pulling out of a deal this year which allowed the safe passage of ships through the waters.

Ukraine is one of world's biggest suppliers of crops such as sunflower oil, barley, maize and wheat but its products were stuck in port following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In July 2022, Moscow and Kyiv agreed to a Turkish-brokered U.N. deal allowing cargo ships to sail along a 310 nautical mile corridor in the Black Sea under which almost 33 million tonnes of grain were shipped from Ukraine.

But on July 17, 2023, President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was pulling out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and subsequently bombed the Ukrainian grain port of Odesa, destroying over 60,000 tons of grain. Some leaders in Africa, where grain is desperately needed, reacted angrily to Putin's decision.

However, Ukraine said that the Black Sea corridor it set up is performing better than expected with 10 million tons of commodities, mostly grains, being exported by 302 vessels to 24 countries since August.

Ukraine's vice prime minister for the restoration of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kubrakov posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Ukraine exports about five million tons of agricultural products per month via the alternative sea route, compared with only 278,000 tons in the first month of the corridor's operation.

He wrote that, "despite systematic attacks on the port infrastructure, ports accepted 337 vessels for loading through (the) Ukrainian corridor.

"Grateful to our Armed Forces and international partners who help us to ensure the operation of the Corridor in conditions of military aggression," his post added.

"The blockade's effective end has been proven," said Yörük Işık, from the Bosphorus Observer maritime consultancy based in Istanbul, who noted that on Friday there was even a vessel which left for New Orleans in the U.S. "The corridors are really working now," he told Newsweek. "It shows the Russian Navy has zero ability to operate in the western Black Sea."

Işık said that despite the increased sea trade, Ukraine will export roughly 10 percent less grain than last year, due in part to other problems such as the closed borders with Poland.

In the first days of the corridor, Russia had attempted to harass some vessels, but now, "there is almost no harassment and so far, touch wood—there have been no mine incidents, more and more ships are using the route."

"The ships are coming and going using the extreme western Black Sea route by staying close to to the shore."

Kubrakov told Bloomberg that while the volumes are lower than last year's exports through the U.N.-backed corridor that Russia rejected, Kyiv "will catch up."

To keep trade ticking, Kyiv has struck a deal with Lloyd's of London and brokers Marsh McLennan to cuts insurance costs for companies seeking assurances that vessels can sail the routes via the war-torn country.

While some shipowners are wary of using the corridor, Kubrakov told the outlet, "it looks like normal shipping, as it was before the war," adding that stronger air defense is needed to quicken ship loading times and better shield ports.

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