Working Conditions Aboard the Manassa-Queen

On October 27, 2023, four vessels successfully departed from Ukraine's Black Sea ports located in the Odesa region, marking the resumption of shipping activity through a newly established export corridor after a brief three-day halt. The ships, identified as the 'Propus', 'Iasos', 'Gloria G', and 'Manassa Queen', set sail from the port of Odesa. Concurrently, the tanker 'Mavka', the bulk carrier 'Golden Arrow', and the cargo vessel 'Maranta' were navigating towards Ukrainian ports. The previous day, October 26, a report from Kiev-based consultancy Barva Invest, alongside British security firm Ambrey and the specialist publication Ukrainian Ports, indicated that the corridor's operations had been temporarily suspended due to potential threats posed by Russian warplanes and sea mines. However, Ukrainian officials refuted these claims. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy emphasized on October 27 that the export corridor would remain operational in spite of the existing threats. This corridor is crucial for Ukraine as it seeks to revitalize its maritime exports amidst persistent dangers from Russia, which had previously undermined a UN brokered agreement in July that permitted limited food exports despite the ongoing conflict. As of October 26, 23 vessels were actively loading at the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi. To date, a total of 51 ships have taken advantage of this corridor, successfully exporting over 1.3 million tons of Ukrainian agricultural products and various other goods.