Grain shipments from Ukraine's Danube ports hit record high in 2022

Ukraine's Danube river ports have boosted grains transshipments by 42 times to an all-time high of 6.1 million tonnes so far in 2022, Ukraine's seaport authority said on Tuesday.

Three small ports – Izmail, Reni and Ust-Dunaisk – offered the only maritime routes for cargo exports for almost six months after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.

The authority said on Facebook that overall turnover at the Danube ports had risen by 294% to 14.5 million tonnes so far this year.

Ukraine is a major global grain grower and exporter but its shipments fell significantly due to hostilities in many regions and Russian blockades of its seaports.

Three leading Ukrainian Black Sea ports were unblocked at the end of July under a deal between Moscow and Kyiv brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.