Maersk has announced a new weekly container service to Ukraine in defiance of Russia’s attacks on merchant ships and the country’s ports.
Ukrainian news portal Dumskaya reported that the first vessel to sail to the country under the new service had departed from Port Said, Egypt on Thursday and was scheduled to arrive at Chornomorsk on October 22.
“This marks a significant step forward in enhancing the efficiency and interaction for our customers in the Ukrainian market,” Maersk’s Ukraine office said in a statement to clients.
The carrier’s existing operations run four feeder ships between Chornomorsk and Constanta, Romania. It is unclear at this stage whether the new service will be an addition or a replacement of these operations.
Meanwhile, Russia’s intensified bombing of merchant vessels and Ukrainian ports has raised concern about the future of the country’s maritime trade.
It has led to rapid hikes in insurance premiums and more vessels opting to switch off their AIS signals to evade attack in the country’s waters.
Maersk’s resilience in servicing the country follows a decision by Hapag-Lloyd to resume container operations to Ukraine last year, while confirming that it will not halt its services.
