The Russian attacks target not only port facilities and terminals but also international merchant vessels. Several ships carrying agricultural products have been hit. As a result, shipping companies increasingly avoid Ukrainian ports. On some days, no commercial ships enter at all, leaving barely any capacity available for new grain transports.
Harvest Threatened
This affects Ukraine at a time when new harvests need to be shipped out. Farmers and agricultural businesses are therefore preparing to store grain for longer periods. The country currently still has sufficient storage space, but the shortage of silo and storage capacity could rise to 11 million tons by the end of autumn.
Over Land
Kyiv is therefore trying to export more grain over land. Again, Poland is being considered. Ukraine intends to transport agricultural products by rail and road to northern Polish Baltic Sea ports such as Gdańsk, Szczecin, Świnoujście, and Gdynia. Kyiv emphasizes that the grain is only transshipped through Poland to countries outside the European Union.
Promotion
Another option runs through Moldova. Ukraine is negotiating with Chisinau about lower rail tariffs for grain transported via Moldova to the Romanian port of Constanza. This route could handle up to 4.5 million tons annually, about 10 percent of Ukrainian agricultural exports. Other alternative routes are also being explored.
Inland Shipping
Problems are also emerging around the route to Constanza. Due to successive heatwaves and lack of rain, water levels in the Danube are historically low. Inland vessels can therefore be loaded less heavily. This reduces the number of transports, causes longer waiting times, and further drives up transport costs to the Romanian port.
The alternatives cannot fully replace the Black Sea ports. The combination of rail connections and the Danube can only handle about one-third of what the Ukrainian Black Sea ports can transport. Ukraine therefore still considers restoring the maritime export route its main priority.
Financial Support
The problems also affect the financial position of farmers. Ukraine has asked the European Union for 220 million euros in aid for small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises. The government wants to use this to support, among other things, affordable agricultural loans. At the same time, extra temporary storage options are being sought to prevent part of the harvest from being lost.
The struggle over trade routes is meanwhile moving in both directions. Ukraine has expanded its attacks on Russian ports, ships, grain terminals, and oil facilities around the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. As a result, Russian exports are also increasingly hindered, and the war over logistical routes is expanding further.