In brief: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on October 18 that Kyiv is in talks with Turkey, Egypt and India about reopening civil navigation in the Black Sea, mainly for agricultural exports. Black Sea ports are Ukraine’s main food export route, able to ship up to 40 million tons of grain per season; sea shipments have been halted since August because of strikes on port infrastructure. Kyiv has also asked the EU to revive the 2022 “solidarity lanes” program. Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry says the country can currently export only 38% of normal volumes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on October 18 that Kyiv is negotiating with Turkey, Egypt and India to reopen civil navigation in the Black Sea, mainly for agricultural exports. Black Sea ports remain Ukraine’s main food export route, capable of shipping up to 40 million tons of grain per season — but sea shipments have been halted since August because of Russian strikes on port infrastructure and vessels. Zelenskyy said rail cannot handle that volume.
The scheme under discussion: vessels flying Turkish, Indian or Egyptian flags would call at Ukrainian and Russian ports, with both sides agreeing not to strike each other’s shipping. Zelenskyy said Russia opposes the plan despite regular appeals from Turkish, Indian and Egyptian intermediaries. In parallel, Kyiv has asked the European Union to revive its 2022 “solidarity lanes” program, which routed Ukrainian grain exports through European rail and ports.
Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry says the country can currently export only 38% of normal volumes. The current squeeze follows large-scale strikes on civilian port infrastructure after Ukraine’s attacks last summer on Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which mostly carries sanctioned oil and fuel products.
Source: Bloomberg/gCaptain, Oct 18, 2026.