Cargo turnover at Ukrainian seaports reached 82.2 million tonnes in 2025, which was 95.36% of the plan, while the forecast cargo turnover (81.769 million tonnes) was fulfilled by 100.5%, according to the press service of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA)
‘Despite unprecedented security pressure, shelling of port infrastructure and mass air raid alerts, the planned cargo turnover targets for the year were exceeded by more than 95% of the forecast, which was set at 86.2 million tonnes for 2025,’ the agency wrote on Telegram.
The USPA noted that agricultural products remained the key basis for cargo turnover in 2025, accounting for 44.2 million tonnes, or 53.7% of the total volume. Container transport showed significant growth: 215,748 TEU were handled during the year, compared to 129,902 TEU a year earlier.
The USPA identified mass air raid alerts and strikes on port infrastructure as a particular challenge in 2025. In the Odesa region alone, air raid alerts were sounded more than 800 times, and the total downtime amounted to more than one month — minus one month of port operations.
‘Despite this, Ukrainian products were exported to 55 countries around the world,’ the USPA emphasised, thanking the Defence Forces, port workers, stevedoring companies and industry experts for their professionalism and endurance, as well as the Ukrainian Navy for ensuring the safety of shipping and the functioning of maritime corridors.
Cargo turnover at Ukraine’s seaports in 2025 decreased by 15.9% compared to 2024, to 81.7 million tonnes, according to Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine – Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba.
According to his post on Telegram, agricultural products formed the basis of cargo turnover – 44.2 million tonnes, which is 26.3% less than in 2024.
‘At the same time, container traffic increased significantly: 215,748 TEU compared to 129,902 a year ago,’ noted the Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery.
According to his data, ports fulfilled more than 95% of the transshipment plan – 82.2 million tonnes of cargo.
It is noted that last year Ukrainian products were exported to 55 countries around the world.
‘These results are evidence that the port industry remains a pillar of the economy even during constant military threats,’ Kuleba stressed.
At the end of December 2025, he reported that the total volume of cargo that passed through Ukraine’s water logistics during the year had decreased to 76.1 million tonnes. In 2025, more than 8.2 million tonnes of cargo were transshipped through the Danube ports of Izmail, Reni and Ust-Dunaysk, compared to 17.3 million tonnes in 2024.
In an interview with Forbes Ukraine, Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development Andriy Kashuba noted that Russia damaged 20 merchant ships in October-December 2025 (as of 24 December), which is 2.5 times more than in the same period in 2024.
In October-December 2025, there were 35 attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure, which is twice as many as in the same period a year ago.
The volume of cargo transported through the Ukrainian corridor increased to 150 million tons, and the number of ships that passed through it exceeded 6,000, according to Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery and Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba.
Exactly two months earlier, the Ministry of Development reported on the results of the corridor’s operation over the two years since its opening: more than 137 million tons and over 5,300 ships, meaning that in the last two months, about 700 ships carrying approximately 13 million tons of cargo passed through the corridor.
According to previously published data from the ministry, in the second year of the corridor’s operation, the volume of cargo increased to approximately 72.6 million tons from 64.4 million tons in the first year, and the number of ships increased to more than 2,900 from 2,380. At the same time, the cargo of one ship decreased to approximately 24,900 tons from 27,100 tons in the first year of the corridor’s operation.
Thus, in the last two months, there has been a further decrease in cargo per ship, to approximately 18,600 tons, although the total number of ships has increased significantly compared to the average for the second year of the corridor’s operation, which has led to a slight increase in cargo turnover.
Kuleba also added that of the total cargo volume of 90 million tons, grain accounted for 90 million tons, while in the two years of the corridor’s operation, it was over 84 million tons, and in the first year, 43.5 million tons. Thus, over the past two months, the average monthly grain shipment rate is still lower than the average for both the second year of the corridor’s operation and the first year.
At the same time, the situation has improved compared to May-July. On May 12, Kuleba reported the transportation of 120 million tons of cargo through the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, including 76 million tons of grain. Thus, in the last three months of the second year of the corridor’s operation, monthly volumes amounted to less than 5.7 million tons, including less than 2.7 million tons of grain, while in the first two months of the third year, these figures increased to approximately 6.5 million tons and 3 million tons.
According to the minister, thanks to the maritime corridor, Ukrainian products and goods are delivered to 55 countries around the world, while at the end of the second year, the Ministry of Development reported 54 countries, and after the first year of the corridor’s operation, exports to 46 countries were reported.
Kuleba also said that today there are 30 stationary shelters operating in seaports, and 21 additional mobile protective structures have been installed in the ports of Greater Odessa. By the end of 2025, it is planned to equip another 28.
In 2024, the ports of Greater Odesa increased their cargo handling by 2.6 times compared to 2023, to 79.9 million tons, while the Danube ports reduced this figure by 1.8 times, to 17.3 million tons, said Oleh Kiper, Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration.
“In 2024, the ports of the region handled 97+ million tons of cargo, which is 57% more than in 2023. In particular, the ports of Greater Odesa handled 79.9 million tons, and the ports of the Danube – 17.3 million tons,” he said in a statement.
Kiper noted that these were mainly agricultural products destined for different countries of the world.
In addition, he said that during the period of operation of the sea corridor, from August 16, 2023, about 3.5 thousand vessels left the ports of Greater Odesa.
Earlier it was reported that in total, in 2023, the ports of Greater Odesa handled 30.6 million tons of cargo: the port of Chornomorsk – 11.41 million tons, Pivdennyi – 10.8 million tons, Odesa – 8.41 million tons. The sea corridor exported 12.8 million tons of cargo.
In 2023, the Danube ports handled 32 million tons of cargo.
The total cargo turnover of Ukrainian seaports in 2024 reached 97 million tons.
The cargo turnover of Ukrainian seaports in January-November 2024 reached 89.8 million tons, which is 69.7% more than in the same period last year.
“In January-November 2024, Ukrainian seaports handled 89.8 million tons of cargo, which is significantly higher than the volume of 52.9 million tons achieved in the same period in 2023. This achievement demonstrates the resilience and efficiency of the port industry even in a difficult situation,” the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) said on Facebook on Monday.
Agricultural products traditionally remain the mainstay of cargo traffic, with a share of 55 million tons, the report said.
At the same time, 7.5 million tons of cargo were handled in November, up 41% year-on-year. A month earlier in October, 8 million tons of cargo were handled.
Earlier, the USPA reported that the cargo turnover of Ukrainian ports from January 1 to November 17, 2024 increased to 86.8 million tons, of which 53.5 million tons were exported.
The cargo turnover of Ukrainian ports increased to 86.8 mln tons from January 1 to November 17, 2024, of which 53.5 mln tons of grain were exported, the press service of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) reports.
According to the USPA’s Facebook post on Thursday, the key export items are sunflower oil – 5.3 million tons worth $4.4 billion, corn – 25.5 million tons worth $4.2 billion, and wheat – 19 million tons worth $3.4 billion.
Port operations are complicated by Russian aggression, mine threats, and military challenges. Despite this, Ukraine’s seaports are demonstrating record export capacity, the USPA said.
Earlier it was reported that in January-October 2024, Ukrainian ports increased cargo handling by 78.1% compared to the same period last year – up to 82.1 million tons. In October, the ports handled 8 million tons of cargo, of which 6.8 million tons, or 85%, were transshipped through the “sea corridor”. More than half of the cargo handled by ports in October was agricultural. They accounted for 5 million tons, which is almost 3.3 times more than in the same period last year.
