Ukraine has started exporting grain through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta. On Thursday, the first ship carrying 71,000 tons of grain was dispatched. So far, about 80,000 tons of Ukrainian grain have been sent to Constanta, with another 80,000 tons approved and on the way.
“This is the first panamax ship carrying Ukrainian corn to leave the port,” the port authority told the news agency Reuters. According to an eyewitness, the ship is the Unity N. A second ship is scheduled to be loaded this week.
Now that the sea ports on Ukraine’s southern coast are blocked due to the Russian war, Ukraine is forced to transport export shipments by train. This can be via Poland to Lithuanian ports on the Baltic Sea, or overland or via river ports to Romania. Yesterday, Bulgaria also announced that Ukrainian grain can now be exported through 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,” said the operator of the Romanian port. Comvex operates Europe’s fastest grain terminal, capable of processing up to 70,000 tons per day.
Earlier last week, the Romanian port completed the shipment of 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 with the Ukrainian borders. On Thursday, Ukraine accused Russia of stealing grain in occupied war zones.