KRAINE’S COAST GUARD PATROLS COAST AS BLACK SEA GRAIN CORRIDOR PROVES SUCCESSFUL – The Corridor currently serves 3 ports in the Odesa region
Ukrainian border guards off the coast of Odesa monitored vessels transporting grain through an alternative Black Sea export corridor established by Ukraine after Russia pulled out of a UN-backed deal.
The Coast Guard of Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said they inspected 3,500 cargo ships in 2023 and more than 100 cargo ships in January 2024.
Kyiv’s unexpected success in replacing a UN-backed Black Sea export deal with its own shipping scheme has brought relief for Ukrainian farmers and importing countries while representing a naval breakthrough for Ukraine’s military.
Kyiv shipped around 4.8 million metric tons of foodstuffs in December, mostly grain, from its Black Sea ports, surpassing for the first time volumes achieved under the previous UN-sponsored corridor. Moscow quit that deal last July saying commitments to safeguard its own exports were not being respected.
Ukraine aims to reinforce the security of the Black Sea corridor, which currently serves three ports in the Odesa region, by winning recognition from the UN’s International Maritime Organisation, which could send a mission in February.