Despite Russian threats, a steady stream of ships is transporting grain and metals from Ukraine a month after the first vessel passed through a new shipping corridor in the Black Sea.
According to Bloomberg, 32 ships that have sailed into Ukrainian ports since September 16 had a total load of about 1.4 million tons. That’s roughly the same as the corridor established with support from the UN and Turkey carried in its first month of operation, but still only a third of the volume that traveled the route when it was at its most efficient.
Ukraine created a temporary route from the Odesa ports after Russia withdrew from the Safe Corridor agreement in July. Initially, ship owners were wary of operating on this route, as the Russian Federation threatened to target any vessels bound for Ukraine as potentially carrying weapons. As the publication notes, although the number of vessels is increasing, the risks still remain.