Ukraine has officially closed its four harbours on the Black and Azov Seas, which were captured by Russian forces, the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday.
The ports of Mariupol, Berdiansk and Skadovsk on the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea port of Kherson have been closed "until control is restored", the ministry explained. The reason for this is that it is impossible to handle ships and passengers, carry out chartering and transport and ensure the safety of shipping. All Ukrainian seaports have ceased operations as a result of the Russian invasion at the end of February.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Ukraine could lose several million tonnes of grain due to Russian control of Black Sea shipping, triggering a food crisis that would affect Europe, Asia and Africa. Russia's invasion of Ukraine thus threatens the already fragile global food system. Russia is blocking the Ukrainian economy and thus literally strangling the country, while at the same time triggering global food problems.
Ukraine, a major agricultural producer, used to export most of its goods by sea, but was forced to switch to exporting by rail via its western border or via its small Danube ports. The ministry announced last week that Ukrainian grain exports in the 2021/22 season (July-June) reached 45.709 million tonnes. This includes 763,000 tonnes exported in April, but no comparative figures were given. Senior agricultural officials said this month that Ukraine exported 300,000 tonnes more grain in March. Like so much else, this is not verifiable.
Source: Polityuk / Reuters / own research
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