The port of Odesa is once again a major hub for Ukrainian grain exports, after several weeks of attacks by Ukrainian naval drones that have sunk a series of Russian warships, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The reclaiming of dominance in large parts of the Black Sea has allowed Ukraine, usually in the top five of grain exporters in the world, to ramp up grain exports to close to pre-war levels. On February 13, the British government even said that Ukraine is on track to export all grain from its 2023 harvest despite the Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports and infrastructure since February 2022, according to Reuters.
The WSJ says that grain exports from Ukraine more than doubled to more than 5 million metric tons in December compared with around 2 million tons in September. Ukraine has also worked with international insurers to help grain ships find affordable coverage. The program was expanded this month to all non-military cargo, including steel and iron ore.
