Oleksandr Kubrakov announced the figures on social media on Thursday, the Euromaidanpress.com website reported.
Kubrakov wrote: "Ukrainian Corridor: vessel traffic continues both to and from the ports of Big Odesa. 6 vessels with 231K tons of agricultural products on board have left the ports of Big Odesa and are heading towards the Bosphorus. 5 vessels are waiting to enter ports for loading."
He added that vessel traffic through the corridor continued "despite Russia's systematic attacks on port infrastructure."
He stated that "since August 8, 2023, 91 vessels have exported 3.3M tons of agricultural and metal products, and 116 vessels have called at the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi."
The Ukrainian deputy prime minister said that the country's forces were "doing everything possible to counter Russian attacks on port infrastructure."
Kubrakov added: "The world has already realized that there are no principles of international law for this aggressor. We are grateful to our partners for their support with air defense."
In early August, Ukraine launched a “humanitarian corridor” to allow cargo ships stuck in its ports since Russia’s 2022 invasion to sail into the Black Sea.
In July, Russia quit the United Nations-backed Black Sea Grain Initiative that guaranteed safe shipments of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, and has since been attacking Ukraine’s port infrastructure on the Black Sea and the Danube river, according to news outlets.
Ukraine has 'clear mission' to join EU: gov't minister
Ukraine needs to implement some 3,000 different rules and standards to be able to join the European Union, the country's minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Olha Stefanishyna, has said, according to the RBC-Ukraine news agency.
Stefanishyna said in a statement on Thursday: "Today, we are talking about the need to implement around 3,500 different EU rules and standards. In reality, this is very, very, very few."
She added that Ukraine's mission was "clear," following trade liberalisation with the EU and the implementation of the association agreement with the European bloc over 10 years, the RBC-Ukraine news agency reported.
On Wednesday, the European Union’s executive Commission recommended that the bloc open accession negotiations with Ukraine, as well as Moldova and Bosnia-and-Herzegovina.
The EU executive said that the talks with Ukraine should begin after Kyiv meets outstanding conditions, including countering corruption, regulating lobbying in line with EU standards and strengthening national minority safeguards, the Reuters news agency reported.
The recommendation marks a significant milestone for Ukraine and a geopolitical move by the EU, amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, according to news outlets.
The bloc’s leaders are expected to decide whether to approve the recommendation by Brussels at a summit on December 14, the RBC-Ukraine news agency reported.
Thursday is day 624 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
(pm/gs)
Source: Euromaidanpress.com, Reuters RBC-Ukraine
