Hundreds of millions of tons: Odessa ports break records thanks to the Ukrainian maritime corridor

Ukrainian Black Sea ports are demonstrating extraordinary export growth despite military aggression. Over the last two years alone, hundreds of millions of tonnes of cargo have been shipped through a new maritime corridor — record figures already approaching pre-war volumes. The alternative route in the Black Sea organized by Ukraine has restored operations at the “Greater Odesa ports” and ensured stable exports of Ukrainian products to many countries around the world.

From the Grain Deal to Ukraine’s Own Corridor

After the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine was unable to ship cargo from Black Sea harbors for several months due to the Russian blockade. In August 2022, the so-called “grain corridor” began operating — an arrangement brokered by the UN and Turkey that partially unblocked Odesa’s ports for the export of agricultural products. During the year this initiative functioned (1 August 2022 – 16 July 2023), 32.9 million tonnes of foodstuffs were exported. However, Russia continually delayed inspections and disrupted agreements, and in July 2023 it withdrew from the deal entirely, renewing the threat to navigation.

Just a month later, Ukraine opened its own maritime corridor to enable merchant shipping without Russia’s participation. The first vessel to use the new route was the container ship Joseph Schulte, which departed the Port of Odesa on 16 August 2023. The temporary corridor was organized by the Ukrainian Navy along the coastline after Russia blocked the previous “grain” route. Unlike the grain deal, this route allowed more than grain to be transported — the ports of Greater Odesa resumed loading metallurgical products, ore, containers, and other goods.

At first, only isolated ships used the new corridor, primarily those that had been trapped in port for months since the start of the war. But the Ukrainian side worked to convince more shipowners to call at the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi. The number of voyages increased month by month, and the export corridor soon began operating at full capacity.

Record Export Growth

In the first months of operation, the results exceeded expectations. In total, over 7 months of Ukraine’s corridor (August 2023 – March 2024), 33.8 million tonnes of cargo were exported — more than was shipped during the entire year of the “grain initiative.” Switching the route to round-the-clock operations also helped: from 15 March 2024 the corridor has operated 24/7, which increased export volumes by about 20%.

Over the first year (August 2023 – August 2024), the Ukrainian maritime corridor enabled the shipment of 64.4 million tonnes of products, of which 43.5 million tonnes were agricultural. Through 2024, transshipment continued to grow: the ports of Odesa Oblast handled a total of over 97 million tonnes — 57% more than in 2023. Of this, the “Greater Odesa” ports (Odesa, Chornomorsk, Pivdennyi) accounted for 79.9 million tonnes, and the Danube ports of the Ukrainian Danube region for 17.3 million tonnes during the year. Thus, Ukraine effectively restored almost pre-war levels of maritime exports within just a year and a half of their total halt.

As of autumn 2025, traffic reached historic highs. For the entire period of the corridor’s operation (since August 2023), more than 146.5 million tonnes of various cargoes passed through the ports of Greater Odesa, and according to the government — over 150 million tonnes by October 2025. This enormous volume was carried by thousands of voyages: more than 5,500 vessels used the corridor (latest estimates — over 6,000 vessels). For comparison, under the 2022–2023 grain deal there were around 1,000 sailings and only ~33 million tonnes of grain were shipped. Today’s seaborne export figures are unprecedented in Ukraine’s independence era.

What Is Shipped and Where It Goes

The core of the corridor’s cargo flow is Ukrainian grain — agricultural products critical to global markets. As of October 2025, about 90 million tonnes of grain cargoes had already been delivered via this route to various countries. Still, the “Ukrainian corridor” made it possible to broaden the export mix. From Odesa, shipments of iron ore, steel products, containerized cargo, chemical fertilizers, and other goods — previously blocked for months — went to sea. For example, in autumn 2023 bulk carriers departed the ports of Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi loaded not only with food but also with iron ore. Thus, the Greater Odesa ports are once again operating as universal trade hubs, not just grain terminals.

The supply geography has also become very broad. Ships carrying Ukrainian foodstuffs and raw materials head to dozens of countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Overall, in the first year of the corridor, Ukrainian products were delivered by sea to 46 countries, and as of autumn 2025 — to 55 countries. Among the largest recipients are EU states (Spain, the Netherlands, Romania, etc.) as well as China, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and other importers of Ukrainian grain. Restoring maritime trade has allowed Ukraine to partially regain its positions on global markets for food and steel, despite the difficulties of wartime.

Resilience Despite Attacks

Russia is trying to disrupt the corridor’s operation with ongoing strikes on port infrastructure. Since summer 2023, the enemy has regularly attacked the ports of Odesa and the Ukrainian Danube with missiles and loitering drones, causing significant destruction. Over the course of the full-scale war, more than 500 facilities of port infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed, dozens of civilian vessels have been affected, and there have been casualties. In the Port of Odesa alone, 161 facilities were damaged. Despite this, Ukrainian ports continue working even under fire — as soon as the air-raid alarm ends, specialists return to loading operations.

To protect personnel and maintain uninterrupted operations, the state and businesses have rapidly built shelters right in the ports. As of October 2025, Ukrainian seaports have 30 stationary bomb shelters, and an additional 21 mobile protective structures installed in the ports of Greater Odesa. Nearly thirty more shelters are planned by year-end. In addition, port operators and private companies have created dozens of their own shelters for employees. This allows personnel to safely ride out attacks and quickly resume work after the all-clear, minimizing downtime.

Insurance support for shipping has been no less important. To encourage foreign vessels to call at Ukraine, special war-risk insurance mechanisms have been implemented. Leading global insurers, with the support of the UK government, began covering risks for shipowners, and the Ukrainian government provides additional state guarantees to compensate possible damages when vessels call at our ports. These guarantees, together with the continuous work of the military (including daily mine-sweeping of the waters), have enabled safe passage through the corridor. In more than a year of operation, there has not been a single incident with a merchant vessel on the route.

The Ukrainian authorities emphasize that successfully maintaining maritime exports is a matter not only of economics but of the country’s survival strategy in wartime. “Despite the war, the Ukrainian maritime corridor operates every day. Thousands of people keep logistics running: they repair what’s damaged, turn ships around, fix equipment — everyone does their part so the country moves forward, the economy works, and the world receives Ukrainian products.” stresses Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba. Thanks to this, Ukraine retains the role of a reliable supplier on the global market while strengthening its economic resilience even in the most challenging conditions.

Sources: Suspilne, Ukrinform, BlackSeaNews, Novynarnia, Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, State Service of Maritime and River Transport.