Ukraine plans to develop private fleet to support agricultural exports

Ukraine plans to create conditions for the development of a private fleet that could operate on maritime routes and support agricultural exports. The Greater Odesa ports currently remain the main channel for most Ukrainian agricultural exports, Deputy Minister for Restoration, Infrastructure and Transport Andrii Kashuba said during the LFM 2026 conference.

The government and businesses are also working on alternative logistics routes amid restrictions affecting maritime infrastructure. Key areas include developing rail transportation, identifying temporary alternative routes and addressing challenges with cargo transportation via the Danube.

The possibility of purchasing vessels for operations in the Black Sea was also discussed during the conference. The issue had previously been considered jointly with the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, but the Infrastructure Ministry believes that the state should not focus on directly operating its own fleet.

Instead, the government’s main task should be to create conditions that allow private businesses to purchase new vessels and operate maritime services independently. According to Kashuba, Ukraine’s port infrastructure is ready to support both public and private operators.

Maritime security remains the key factor for the further development of sea transportation. At the same time, developing a domestic private fleet could become one of the ways to support stable maritime logistics and Ukraine’s agricultural exports.

Tags: Ukraine, export, agricultural exports, shipping, fleet