The German Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), which operates the Container Terminal Odesa (CTO) and two intermodal logistics companies in Ukraine, is organizing the Odesa-Trieste container route, Managing Director of HHLA International GmbH Philip Joseph Sweens has said.
“Now we are creating a chain linking Odesa and Trieste… and trying to manage as many trains as possible,” he said at a discussion organized by the European Business Association last week about doing business in the conditions of war in Ukraine.
At the same time, Sweens said that Ukraine is already facing a shortage of railway platforms and the reluctance of shipping lines to send containers back to Ukraine.
“So for now it’s a bit of a one-way route,” the managing director said.
Commenting on the situation at the terminal, he said that it was shut down at a request of the authorities at the beginning of the war and only a limited set of operations for the delivery and reception of containers is carried out, as Russia continues to impede any movement of ships in the Black Sea.
According to Sweens, the terminal was not damaged. More than 270 employees and their families were evacuated to Hamburg and Constanta. The director said that the staff did and is doing everything possible to maintain the efficiency of Ukrainian companies, and continues to receive salaries.
He added that all existing equipment is being maintained, so everything is in working order, and the terminal will be ready to quickly resume operation if the opportunity arises.
“It is clear that we remain very committed to Ukraine and will do our best to continue working in the long term,” Sweens said.
According to him, under the current conditions, the company is asking the authorities to impose a moratorium on rental payments, as they are quite high for the terminal, which now has a very small volume of activity.
The value of Ukrainian agricultural exports for the two months of the war with Russia (March-April) amounted to $ 1.74 billion, while in January-February the supply of such products brought 3.2 times more revenue – $ 5.68 billion, for January-April the country exported $ 7.42 billion worth of agricultural products
The key commodity groups in agricultural exports from Ukraine are traditionally cereals and oilseeds, vegetable oils and fats, waste from the processing industry and meat products, according to the website of the Institute of Agrarian Economics (IAE) on Monday.
According to the agency, agricultural products continue to be the main source of foreign exchange earnings for Ukraine’s foreign trade: in January-April 2022, its share in total exports exceeded 44%.
Despite the Russian military invasion, exports of agricultural products from Ukraine in January-April 2022 still exceed the figures for the first four months of 2021 by 3%, this excess is due to significant intensity of exports in January-February 2022 and a record harvest of 2021, the largest since the country’s independence.
“Today Ukraine still exceeds last year’s record food exports. However, Russia’s ongoing aggression, hostilities, occupation of territories in different regions of our country and blocking of seaports significantly reduce domestic foreign sales potential. Final export figures will depend on liquidity. , – quotes IAE deputy director of the institution Nikolai Pugachev.
It was reported that before the Russian military invasion, Ukraine exported up to 5 million tons of agricultural products per month through the ports of Odessa and Nikolaev, but now due to their naval blockade by Russia, the country can transport about 500 thousand per month. tons of grain. This leads to a monthly shortfall of about $ 1.5 billion in export earnings.
Since the beginning of the 2021/2022 marketing year (MY, July-June) and as of May 19, Ukraine has exported 46.51 million tons of cereals and legumes, which is 13.8% higher than on the same date of the previous MY. A total of 18.54 million tons of wheat was exported to foreign markets (18.7% more than in the same period of 2020 / 2021MG), 21.83 million tons of corn (+ 6.9%), 5.68 million tons of barley (+ 37.2%), 70.6 thousand tons of flour (-35.7%).
Retail turnover in Ukraine by regions in Jan 2021 (UAH mln)
Detained MP Viktor Medvedchuk said that he was dealing with the withdrawal from the state ownership of the Samara-Western direction oil pipeline at the request of then-President Petro Poroshenko, coal supplies from LPR / DPR. Of Ukraine.
A statement issued by the SBU on Monday in the agency’s Telegram Channel notes that Medvedchuk, who is suspected of treason and aiding terrorism, told about the scheme of withdrawal from state ownership of the Samara-West direction main oil pipeline for further pumping. him diesel fuel.
“Describing the essence of the scheme, Medvedchuk detailed the role of former President Petro Poroshenko in it. Namely, that he not only asked Medvedchuk to contact the Russian leadership, but also ensured the necessary decisions in all Ukrainian instances,” the statement said.
Referring to Medvedchuk’s words, the Ukrainian secret service reports: “For this pipeline to become private property, and in fact – the property of Poroshenko himself, it was necessary to perform a number of actions… Courts, prosecutors, Antimonopoly Committee, State Property Fund – all of them made decisions personal interests of President Poroshenko “.
Thus, as noted in the SBU, Medvedchuk claims that he dealt with the pipeline at the request of Poroshenko.
“Finally, during the year of operation, the pipeline earned twice as much money for its owners as was invested in its purchase – up to $ 42 million. in the message.
In addition, according to the SBU, Medvedchuk told the details of the agreement in 2014-2015. mechanism for purchasing coal for the needs of Ukraine’s energy sector in the temporarily occupied territories of the so-called “L / DNR”. “In fact, the entire top of the state apparatus was involved, starting with the president and ending with ministers, law enforcement officers and those who directly implemented this scheme,” the SBU said, citing Medvedchuk.
The report states that the suspect named specific names of high-ranking officials involved in harming the interests of the state – former officials, former leadership of the National Bank, MPs and law enforcement officials.
“The security service continues investigative actions with the detainee to establish all the facts, circumstances, organizers and participants in the crimes committed,” the statement said.
The SBU reminds that the Ukrainian special services detained Medvedchuk in April after escaping from house arrest at the beginning of a full-scale Russian invasion on February 24.
In 2021, the SBU raised several suspicions against Medvedchuk. He is suspected of treason, aiding a terrorist organization and attempting to plunder national resources in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.
One of the cases concerns the organization of illegal coal supply schemes from the temporarily occupied territories. Fuel was purchased for cash, and thus pro-Russian terrorists financed a total of more than UAH 200 million.
Another criminal case concerns the illegal seizure of Prykarpatzapadtrans LLC by a section of the state oil pipeline worth over UAH 200 million. In February 2021, the National Security and Defense Council returned the pipeline to state ownership.
OIL PIPELINE, POROSHENKO, PURCHASING COAL, SBU, ЛНР/ДНР, МЕДВЕДЧУК
Official rates of banking metals from national bank as of May 23
One troy ounce=31.10 grams
National bank of Ukraine’s official rates as of 23/05/22
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
