MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. The week-long shutdown of Greater Odessa ports demonstrates that maintaining this situation over the coming weeks will lead to lower purchase prices for Ukrainian producers, a shortage of domestic storage capacity, and a significant shortfall in foreign exchange earnings for Kiev, political scientist Ilya Grashchenkov, president of the Center for Regional Policy Development, told TASS.
Alternative export routes will not compensate Kiev for the collapse of its sea lanes, he added.
Last week, reports indicated that on July 22, the port of Odessa failed to receive or dispatch a single vessel for the first time since the summer of 2022.
"While a week of idleness does not yet mean a final naval blockade, if this situation continues for several weeks, the consequences will begin to accumulate: grain will remain inside the country, purchase prices for Ukrainian producers will drop, a shortage of storage capacity will arise, and the budget will lose foreign currency revenue," the expert said.
At the same time, pressure on the global grain market will intensify, he added.
