Despite the recent decline in security across the Black Sea, Maersk, the world’s second-largest containerline, has initiated a new weekly feeder service between the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk and the Danish carrier’s hub port in Port Said in Egypt. The 1,702 teu A. Obelix is being deployed on the route, set to arrive in Chornomorsk next Tuesday.
In a note to clients, Maersk said the new service cuts transit times to and from Chornomorsk, compared to the barge connection between Chornomorsk and the Romanian port Constanta, a route many lines have been using in recent months.
Ukraine has gradually been plugged back into the global container trades this year. After more than 800 days since Russia embarked on its full-scale invasion of its neighbour, global carriers led by Hapag-Lloyd and Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) made a return to Ukraine in late May, even as the nation’s ports remain under attack.
Media has reported on four international merchant ships, including a containership, being targeted by the Russian military in the Black Sea over the past five weeks, the first confirmed strikes on commercial vessels since November last year.
