There has been no exodus of ships from the ports of Odesa

The Port of Odesa. Photo: USI

Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, stated that ports in the region are continuing to operate without significant disruption, despite the recent shelling.

He made this statement during the nationwide television marathon Unified News.

When asked by a journalist about changes in port operations and their impact on exports, Oleh Kiper noted that all vessels entering the combat zone take out the necessary insurance and are aware of the risks.

«All vessels entering the combat zone always take out some form of insurance and understand where they are heading. It’s difficult, but I don’t see any major changes there, as this isn’t the first year, and all port operators, as well as those coming in to load or unload, clearly understand all the processes. So it’s difficult, but I don’t see a significant outflow of vessels from the west or entering the ports of Odesa,» said Oleh Kiper.

As a reminder, since the start of 2026, Ukrainian ports have handled over 15 million tonnes of cargo. The majority of this, 14.5 million tonnes, has passed through the seaports of Greater Odesa.

According to Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for the Recovery of Ukraine and Minister of Community and Territorial Development, the bulk of the cargo handling is provided by the ports of Greater Odesa: the Port of Odesa, the Port of Pivdennyi and the Black Sea Port. A total of 14.5 million tonnes of cargo passed through them, of which 8.5 million tonnes were grain exports.

Meanwhile, the ports on the Danube handled 1.1 million tonnes of cargo, including 221,000 tonnes of grain.