Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February, Kyiv and Moscow have reached a compromise for the first time. The warring parties agree to export millions of tons of grain from Ukrainian ports - a mammoth logistical task.
According to the Navy, Ukraine's three ports intended for the export of grain have "restarted their work". The ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny are operational again, although there is still work to be done to ensure the safety of the convoys, the Ukrainian Navy said. Last Friday, Ukraine and Russia signed two separate but identical agreements, which regulate the resumption of grain exports via the Black Sea.
In it, Ukraine and Russia undertake to respect safe corridors for cargo ships and to refrain from military activities there. When leaving Ukraine, the cargo ships are to be accompanied by Ukrainian military boats.
The agreement is initially valid for four months. If about eight million tons of grain can be exported per month, four months would be enough to export the currently blocked grain of the order of 25 million tons.
Meanwhile, the coordination center provided for in the agreement was opened in Istanbul on Wednesday. There, representatives of Ukraine and Russia as well as Turkey and the United Nations will jointly determine the timetable for the cargo ships through the Black Sea.
From the point of view of the international shipping association Bimco, however, grain exports will present maritime logistics with an unprecedented challenge. Because the three Ukrainian ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhnyj "have never handled such a large quantity of grain in the last five years", the planned exports could prove to be a challenge, according to a statement from the association in Bagsværd. "Even if port logistics are sped up to speed up exports, the need to escort ships in and out of ports is likely to create some congestion," said Bimco analyst Niels Rasmussen.
Bimco-Analyt Rasmussen also rates the high transport risks and correspondingly high insurance premiums as "a major obstacle to Ukrainian grain exports". "In order for shipping Ukrainian grain to be attractive, high rates are needed to mitigate risk-related costs," he said. "Russia's recent missile strikes on ports like Odessa will add to the uncertainty and uncertainty surrounding Black Sea operations."
Ukraine is one of the most important grain exporters in the world. About 20 million tons of grain cannot be exported from Ukraine because of the war. The food is urgently needed, especially in Asia and Africa. The United Nations recently warned of the biggest hunger crisis in decades.
