Temporary corridors have been announced for merchant vessels traveling to or from the Black Sea ports of Ukraine, according to a statement by the Ukrainian Navy on their Facebook page.
"In accordance with the navigation directive of the Ukrainian Navy No. 6 of August 8, 2023, new temporary routes of movement for civilian vessels to/from the Black Sea maritime ports of Ukraine have been announced. It is noted that throughout all routes, there remains a military threat and mine danger from the Russian Federation," the statement said.
The Ukrainian Navy emphasizes that these routes were previously proposed by Ukraine in its appeal to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which recognized Ukraine's right to free commercial navigation guaranteed by international maritime law.
Ukrainian military officials add that these routes will primarily be used for the departure of civilian vessels that have been in Ukrainian ports such as Chornomorsk, Odessa, and Pivdenny (Yuzhny) since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The last ship carrying Ukrainian food products left the port of Odessa on July 16. On July 17, the Kremlin announced the suspension of the grain agreement and a return to the implementation of Black Sea agreements as soon as the Russian part of the grain agreement is fulfilled. Following this, Russia intensified attacks on the Odessa region, including port infrastructure.
