Ukraine has started exporting grain through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta. A first ship with 71,000 tons of grain was shipped on Thursday. So far, about 80,000 tons of Ukrainian grain has been sent to Constanta, with another 80,000 approved and on the way
"This is the first Panamax vessel carrying Ukrainian maize to leave the port," the port authority told Reuters news agency. The ship is the Unity N, according to an eyewitness. A second ship will be loaded this week.
With seaports on Ukraine's southern coast blocked by the Russian war, Ukraine has been forced to transport export shipments by train. This can be done via Poland to Lithuanian ports on the Baltic Sea, or by land or via river ports to Romania. Yesterday, Bulgaria also announced that Ukrainian grain can now also be exported via the Bulgarian port city of Varna.
“Supporting Ukrainian grain exports means preventing a wave of global hunger caused by the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports,” the Romanian port operator said. Comvex operates Europe's fastest loading grain terminal, which can handle up to 70,000 tons per day.
Earlier last week, the Romanian port completed shipping about 35,000 tons of Ukrainian iron ore, and a second ship is expected to be loaded around May 15.
The port welcomed plans by the Romanian government to restore several railway lines connecting ports to the Ukrainian borders. On Thursday, Ukraine accused Russia of stealing grain in occupied war zones.