Russian Missile Damages Odesa Port and Docked Bulker
Reports are coming from Ukraine of a Russian missile strike on the city of Odesa that damaged port infrastructure and a vessel alongside loading. There are no reports of causalities in the port but four civilians were injured in the city.
The governor for the region, Oleh Kiper, posted a message on Telegram after earlier warning the citizens of a possible air assault. Russia has increased its attacks on Ukrainian cities but some reports said it was a month since the port infrastructure had been hit. Without providing details on the damage, Kiper reported they had found debris from an Iskander-M missile along with the damage in the port and civilian buildings. He warned citizens to heed the air raid alerts.
Cargo ships continue to use the ports in the Greater Odesa region as part of Ukraine’s corridor for shipping. Kiper only identified the damaged vessel as being registered in Antigua. Reuters is citing sources saying the vessel is the Golden Lion which it says was loading metal products.
Tracking data shows the vessel which is 6,315 dwt arrived this morning in Odesa coming from Varna, Bulgaria. Databases show the ship is owned and managed from Lithuania.
Ukraine’s Agrarian Policy Ministry last month said in the first year of operation of the shipping corridor, Odesa had been systematically targeted by Russia. They asserted that the Russian attacks have caused losses of $1.5 billion in destroyed equipment and products stored in Odesa for shipment. They reported that in addition to grain storage, the attacks have also hit the tanks for sunflower oil.
Shipping continues despite the damage today and a missile strike on another bulker last week after it departed a Ukrainian port. The shipping corridor is marking its first anniversary and officials said more than 2,500 vessels have departed Ukraine’s ports in the past year. They carried more than 46 million tons of agricultural exports and an additional 23 million tons of metal and mining exports.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday, September 19, vowed to further expand Ukraine’s export capabilities. He said Ukraine was meeting the critical food needs for many countries and would continue its exports.
Ukraine Vows to Expand Black Sea Shipments on First Anniversary of Corridor
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the success of the corridor established by Ukraine in the Black Sea while vowing to increase shipments. The exports continue to play a critical role in the Ukrainian economy while the president seeks to also highlight the humanitarian nature of the shipments.
“Despite the war and Russian terror, Ukraine continues to be a contributor to global food security for dozens of countries, and we are increasing our capabilities,” wrote Zelenskyy on Telegram in his latest update.
Ukraine recently marked the first year of operations of its corridor established after the collapse of the UN-brokered deal with Russia. Ships began sailing from the greater Odesa area in September 2023 following the route to the west along the coast of Ukraine and Romania to reach Turkey. Largely they have proceeded without interference from Russia.
Government officials reported that 2,577 vessels left Ukrainian ports using the corridor. They transported 46 million tons of grains and foodstuffs being exported from Ukraine. According to the report, the cargoes were going to countries including Egypt, Indonesia, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, India, and China.
In addition, the corridor permitted Ukraine to restore shipments of other goods including mining and metals exports. This amounted to 23 million tons in the past year and included steel and iron ore.
Increasing shipments through the sea corridor are also helping Ukraine to offset other losses. Polish farmers blockaded the border to stop the flow of Ukrainian grain which they said was flooding their markets.
The 2024/2025 export season is underway and so far, Ukraine says 8.94 million tons of grain shipped as of September 18. This includes almost 5 million tons of wheat. This comes as Ukraine reported a strong season with farmers completing a harvest of nearly 22 million tons. It was a similar volume to 2023.
Ukraine’s agricultural ministry reports it entered into agreements with traders and agricultural associations to ship approximately 16.2 million tons of grain this season.
Zelenskyy highlights that the military is making the shipments possible through its hard work. Ukrainian seaports especially in the greater Odesa area which account for most of the shipments have come under repeated attack from Russia. Infrastructure including storage has been damaged.
Last week, Ukraine accused Russia of attacking a bulker registered in St. Kitts and Nevis. Zelenskyy published photos showing the damage to the vessel from a Russian missile. The ship reportedly put in to Romania, but there were no reports of casualties. Zelenskyy says with the support of its partners Ukraine has been able to continue the exports despite these attacks.
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