In 2026, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development plans to implement measures aimed at modernizing maritime and river transport and strengthening the country’s logistical resilience.
The priority will remain the efficient operation of seaports, ensuring stable import-export logistics, and restoring their material and technical base, the ministry’s press service reports.
Despite systematic attacks on critical infrastructure, six seaports — Pivdennyi, Odessa, Chornomorsk, Ust-Dunaisk, Izmail, and Reni — continued to ensure the country’s exports and imports.
The foundation of water logistics during wartime has been the Ukrainian Maritime Corridor, established after the Russian Federation withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2023. Since then, the corridor has transported over 160 million tons of cargo aboard more than 6,000 vessels, of which over 96 million tons were products from Ukrainian farmers.
In the 11 months of 2025, the ports of Odessa region handled nearly 68 million tons of cargo, while the Danube ports processed over 8 million tons. This means that in 2025, the volume of exports matched the combined total of 2023–2024.
“Significant attention will be given to the safety of water corridors, digitalization of all key processes, and the development of ports as modern multimodal hubs capable of attracting investment and providing convenience for all market participants,” the statement reads.
Planned measures for the development of Danube ports include:
- Creating a unified administration for the Danube Cluster and transforming state stevedoring companies into modern corporate enterprises;
- Maximizing automation of port processes and developing the River Information Service;
- Improving the efficiency of logistical connections to Danube seaports through the use of multimodal solutions.
These measures are expected to ensure that the Danube ports handle no less than 15 million tons of cargo per year. They will also optimize administrative costs by UAH 22 million, preserve more than 2,000 jobs, and ensure the stable operation of JSC Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company on the Danube toward EU ports.
