No 'windows of silence' or flag-state mechanism for Black Sea corridor, agriculture minister says

Ukraine has reached no official agreements on introducing either "windows of silence" or a flag-state notification mechanism for vessels using the Black Sea shipping corridor, Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi told Latifundist.com, dismissing market speculation about new navigation rules.

Grain market participants have been discussing two alleged scenarios for the operation of the Big Odesa ports. One would require Ukraine and Russia to be notified of vessel arrivals through the ship's flag state or owner, with both sides refraining from attacking the vessel. The other envisaged introducing two- to three-day "windows of silence."

"As of today, there are no agreements on any separate mechanisms for vessel or cargo arrivals. There is neither a notification mechanism through the flag state or shipowner nor any two- to three-day 'windows of silence.' The corridor continues to operate as it has until now. There are no official agreements, special procedures or exceptions," Vysotskyi said.

Instead, the minister said the government's efforts are focused on strengthening the security of the existing Black Sea shipping corridor. Ukraine has not suspended navigation or introduced restrictions on vessels entering its ports.

"There is a security component. The Defence Forces are working at maximum capacity to ensure safe navigation. Ukraine has not closed shipping. The only threat comes from Russia's terrorist attacks on civilian vessels," he said.

Vysotskyi added that any additional security measures or changes to the corridor's operating procedures would be announced officially by the relevant authorities.

"If anything changes, possibly in another form, it will be officially communicated. We therefore urge market participants to rely primarily on information from the competent authorities to avoid misunderstandings," he said.

Separately, the government is working on financial support measures for farmers affected by limited grain sales and lower purchase prices. Possible measures include lending programmes and working capital financing to help producers avoid selling grain immediately at discounted prices.

However, Vysotskyi said the government is not considering direct compensation for lower grain prices or higher logistics costs.

"Our primary focus is liquidity — providing financing against grain that physically exists but is temporarily difficult to market under the current circumstances. We are working on a number of economic initiatives and programmes, including lending, liquidity support and other forms of assistance for agricultural producers during this period," he said.