Temporary export sea corridor to Odesa ports halts on October 26 until further orders

On October 26, no vessels will be allowed to use the temporary corridor to Ukraine's ports of Big Odesa.

"Based on the information received, there will be no vessel traffic in and out of the corridor tomorrow, October 26, 2023," the message sent by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority to market participants operating in the temporary corridor reads.

On October 24-25, the corridor was closed for navigation. Our source in the Ministry of Infrastructure explained that the military did not approve the plans for the movement of ships.

"This is how it works: every day we make a plan for the next day's vessel traffic. Then we coordinate it with the military. And only after they approve it, it is enforced. Yesterday's traffic was not approved, and today's is not approved either. They do not explain the reasons," the source says.

The owner of a terminal in one of the ports of Big Odesa argues that the Ukrainian military explains this by an "explosive threat" after the intensification of russian aviation.

Earlier spokesperson of the Operational Command "South" Natalia Gumeniuk announced that russian tactical aviation discharged four explosive objects close to the temporary corridor on October 25.