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More than 8,000 vessels have transited Ukraine’s Maritime Corridor since it began operating over two and a half years ago, helping restore the country’s seaborne exports and enabling some categories of goods to return to pre-war export volumes.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, announced the figures in comments to Ukrinform, UATV English reports.
“The corridor has now been operating for more than two and a half years, and over 8,000 vessels have already used it,” Pletenchuk said.
According to him, maintaining the uninterrupted operation of the Maritime Corridor remains one of the Ukrainian Navy’s most significant achievements since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“For Ukraine, maritime exports are the principal export route. Having an open sea corridor that does not depend on land borders means economic independence and the ability to pursue our own foreign trade policy,” he emphasized.
Pletenchuk noted that the corridor’s continued operation has been made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Ukrainian Navy and other components of the Defense Forces, which have worked to ensure the safe passage of civilian shipping despite ongoing Russian military threats in the Black Sea.
“It is thanks to the work of the Navy and the broader Defense Forces that civilian vessels are able to navigate safely,” he said.
According to the spokesperson, the functioning of the corridor has allowed Ukraine to restore export volumes for several categories of products to levels comparable with those recorded before the full-scale war.
The maritime route has become a vital lifeline for Ukraine’s economy, particularly for agricultural exports, which remain one of the country’s largest sources of foreign currency earnings.
Earlier, Ukrinform reported that since the launch of the Ukrainian Maritime Corridor, the country’s seaports have handled more than 197 million metric tons of cargo.
Of that total, approximately 117 million metric tons consisted of grain and other agricultural products destined for international markets.
The corridor was established after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and has since enabled Ukraine to maintain exports despite continued security risks in the Black Sea.
Its successful operation is widely regarded as an important contribution to both Ukraine’s economic resilience and global food security, allowing Ukrainian agricultural products to reach markets in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia despite ongoing hostilities.
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