Cargo Ships Moving via Ukraine's Black Sea Corridor after 3-day Pause -STC

Four vessels left Ukrainian Black Sea ports in the Odesa region on Friday as shipping via a new export corridor resumed after a three-day pause, independent transport sector consultancy STC said.

"On October 27, vessel traffic in the temporary Black Sea corridor announced by Ukraine resumed," STC said in a report.

 It said the Propus, Iasos, Gloria G and Manassa Queen had sailed from Odesa ports while the tanker Mavka, bulk carrier Golden Arrow, and general cargo vessel Maranta were currently heading to Ukrainian ports. 

On Thursday, the Kyiv-based Barva Invest consultancy, British security firm Ambrey, and a specialized outlet, Ukrainian Ports, reported that Ukraine had suspended use of the corridor due to a possible threat from Russian warplanes and sea mines. Ukrainian officials denied this and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday the corridor would continue to function despite threats.

Ukraine has been using the corridor to try to revive its seaborne exports, defying threats from Moscow which quit a U.N.-brokered deal in July that had allowed some food exports to flow despite the war. 

Ukrainian officials said 23 ships were loading at the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi as of Thursday. A total of 51 vessels have used the corridor so far with 33 exporting more than 1.3 million metric tons of Ukrainian agricultural products and other cargo, they said.

(Reuters - Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)