Ukraine Begins Registration of Ships for Black Sea Passage

A local news agency reported today, Saturday, that Ukraine, which is seeking to open safe maritime routes in the Black Sea, has started registering ships wishing to use the corridor it announced last week. Ukraine announced on Thursday a "humanitarian corridor" in the Black Sea that allows shipping vessels trapped in its ports since Russia launched its large-scale invasion of the country on February 24, 2022, to navigate. The corridor serves as a new test for Russia's de facto blockade after its withdrawal last month from the agreement that allowed Kyiv to export grain. According to Ukrainian news agency Interfax, Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk stated, "Registration is now open, and the coordinator is already working," without providing further details. A source in the sector told Reuters yesterday, Friday, that no ships had yet passed through the corridor. Pletenchuk noted, "Of course, everything will happen under the supervision of the Ukrainian armed forces. We are doing our utmost to ensure security." Russia has not clarified whether it will respect the shipping corridor, while sources in the shipping and insurance sectors expressed concerns about safety. The humanitarian corridor will initially be available for vessels such as container ships that have been trapped in Ukrainian ports since the beginning of the invasion and were not included in the agreement that opened the ports for grain shipments last year.