Ukraine: Grain Exports From Odesa Ports Have Exceeded Pre-War Levels

 

Despite the continued attacks by Russian forces, grain exports from the three ports in the Greater Odesa region have now exceeded pre-war levels, report Ukrainian officials. They stated that volumes have continued to grow steadily and are providing a critical portion of the country’s economy.

Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration highlighted that since August 2024 more than 5,000 ships have used the maritime corridor to reach the ports of Odesa. He announced that revenues from the ports are making up 60 percent of the overall maritime-related economy for the country. He said this is despite continued attacks on the port infrastructure.

“Even though we’re working ‘on the fly,’ we’ve increased our volumes – even in grain – to levels higher than before the full-scale invasion began,” said Kiper, according to a report from The Odesa Journal. “We are economically supporting the entire country today.”

The Odesa ports processed 120 million tons of cargo, including 76 million tons of agricultural products, using the maritime corridor. In 2025, it is reported to be over 28 million tons of cargo, including 15 million tons of grain. The other large export is metal products.

The maritime corridor they said is critical to exports because it keeps costs lower than the overland alternatives. This is especially important for markets in North Africa and Southeast Asia, the officials noted.

Kiper admitted that due to the attacks, the ports are not operating as efficiently as they did in the past. He said instead of loading a ship in 24 hours, it sometimes takes 48 to 72 hours. In some instances, he says, people are physically carrying products themselves to load the ships.

They said in 2024 alone the Odesa region had over 800 declared air alerts due to drone or missile attacks. Port operations were interrupted for more than 32 days, but they were still able to ship exports to 53 countries.

The growth in vessel traffic was steady during the first quarter of 2025, with a total of 659 port stops in the three commercial ports in Greater Odesa. They handled 204 vessels in January, 213 in February, and 242 in March. This was despite 35 missile and drone attacks on the ports, which included damage to the containershipMSC Levante F and the bulker Super Sarkas. 

Ukrainian officials said the success of the Black Sea corridor has contributed to an economic stabilization for the country despite the prolonged war. In March, the U.S. and Russia said they had reached terms for an agreement to stop the Black Sea attacks, but so far U.S. efforts to achieve a ceasefire have failed. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the latest call for a ceasefire but proposed peace talks, which are scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul.