Trading places: Mykolaiv is overtaking Odesa, the iconic Black Sea port, to become Ukraine’s second busiest port.

Trading places: Mykolaiv is overtaking Odesa, the iconic Black Sea port, to become Ukraine’s second busiest port. Through October, Mykolaiv handled 22.5 million tons of cargo, up 17% over the same period last year. Through October, Odessa port handled 17.3 million tons, down 13%. Odesa port, now Ukraine’s third ranking port, has been hurt by corruption reports and by the departure last spring of Maersk, the world’s container ship company. Maersk moved operations 40 km to the east, from Odesa to Yuzhne, Ukraine’s largest port.