Ukraine is seeking an alternative route to export grain to the EU via Moldova — Reuters
Ukraine is considering the possibility of transporting grain by rail through Moldova to the Romanian port of Constanța as a safer alternative to maritime exports. Kyiv has already asked Chișinău to establish a reduced tariff for such shipments.
The search for a new route is linked to intensified Russian attacks on Ukrainian shipping and port infrastructure. As a result, exports from ports via the Black Sea—particularly through the “security corridor” used to transport cargo to Romania—have faced challenges in recent months.
According to sources in Ukraine and Moldova, Kyiv would like to transport grain through Moldovan territory to the Romanian port of Constanta at a 50% discount from the standard rate.
“We are currently gathering information on potential volumes from interested shippers. The information-gathering process is not yet complete,” a high-ranking representative of the Ukrainian industry told Reuters.
A source at Moldovan Railways reported that during the negotiations, Ukraine specifically requested a 50% discount. In response, Chisinau proposed that Kyiv provide guarantees regarding the volumes of Ukrainian grain to be transported via this route.
“The parties are currently discussing the timing and volumes of Ukrainian grain transit through Moldova to the [Romanian] port of Constanta,” the source said.
Oleg Tofilat, former head of the “Moldovan Railways,” told Reuters that the transit rail corridor through Moldova could handle 4.5 million metric tons of grain per year.
According to Ukrainian estimates, a fully operational corridor could account for 10% of the country’s exports. Moldova already facilitated the rail transport of Ukrainian grain in 2022–2023.
Moldova’s Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Vladimir Bolya, visited the Odesa region, which borders Moldova, and discussed improving rail connections and expanding transit with his Ukrainian counterpart, Mykola Kalashnyk.
The need for a rail route arose due to Russian attacks on the Odesa port complex. Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy, Taras Vysotsky, announced that the ministry has lowered its grain export forecast for the 2026–2027 season to 38–40 million metric tons from the previously expected 43 million metric tons due to Russian attacks on ports.
Source: Reuters
As a reminder, grain exports from Ukraine could fall by more than half.
