Last year, over 9,000 commercial vessels passed through the Ukrainian maritime corridor.

The Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) facilitated the passage of 9,061 civilian vessels through the Ukrainian maritime corridor in 2024 – with 4,651 vessels arriving at marine ports and 4,410 returning. These figures were released by the Ukrainian Navy.

A total of 6,840 vessels passed through the ports of Greater Odesa, while the Danube cluster ports handled 2,221 vessels.

“This allowed Ukraine to export over 74.4 million tons of cargo, including agricultural products, which is critically important for supporting our economy and global food security. Nearly 80% of cargo is transported by sea,” stated Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, Commander of the AFU Navy.

The Navy ensured safe navigation conditions through the continuous operation of the fleet and divers. In particular, a significant number of drifting naval mines were destroyed, and no cases of mines detonating in ports were reported. Continuous escort of cargo vessels was also carried out.

“We continue to work to ensure that Ukraine remains a reliable part of the global maritime market,” added the Navy Commander.

The temporary maritime corridor announced by the Ukrainian Navy commenced operations on August 16, 2023. The shipping route from the ports of Greater Odesa passes through the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey to the Bosporus. The launch of the corridor unlocked the activities of three deep-water ports in Odesa – Pivdenny, Odesa, and Chornomorsk.

Initially, the corridor was utilized by commercial vessels that had been blocked in the ports of Greater Odesa following the full-scale Russian invasion. Over the following months, shipping traffic through the corridor began to gradually increase.

By the end of 2023, the sea ports processed nearly 62 million tons of cargo compared to 59 million tons in 2022. In 2023, the Ukrainian corridor facilitated the delivery of 12.8 million tons of export cargo, utilized by 400 commercial vessels.

Over the one-year operation of the corridor, from August 16, 2023, to August 16, 2024, the export cargo flow through this route reached 64.4 million tons, including 43.5 million tons of agricultural cargo.

According to preliminary data from the State Enterprise “Administration of Seaports of Ukraine,” the sea ports in 2024 achieved a cargo turnover of nearly 97 million tons.

Background. Sea ports from January to November 2024 increased cargo handling by 70% compared to the same period last year: 89.8 million tons processed versus 52.9 million tons last year. Export agricultural products accounted for 61.2% of the cargo flow.