On board the unblocked ships are products of Ukrainian steelmakers and miners that were manufactured before the beginning of the full-scale war. This includes over 76,000 tonnes of rolled steel produced by Azovstal, Zaporizhstal, Kamet Steel and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, as well as 172,000 tonnes of iron ore concentrate produced at Metinvest Group's mining and processing plants. Now the Ukrainian steel and iron ore concentrate are on their way to foreign customers who paid for the products before the full-scale invasion.
Ukrainian businesses managed to free the ships after a year and a half of captivity thanks to the combined efforts of the Office of the President, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ukrainian Navy and other Ukrainian security agencies.
"The breaking of the maritime blockade by ships carrying Ukrainian steel is a historic moment and the first step towards the full unblocking of maritime exports for the entire range of Ukrainian products: fertilisers, steel, iron ore, food, pipes, equipment and other goods. This means the accelerated recovery of Ukraine's economy, which has suffered enormous losses, including due to the illegal blockade of Ukraine's ports by the Russian Federation. I would like to thank all those involved, especially the Office of the President, the Ministry of Infrastructure and, of course, the Ukrainian Navy, our brave sailors. The full unblocking of ports for all types of cargo will not only allow Ukraine to regain the status of a maritime country but will also bring additional tens of billions of dollars of foreign currency earnings annually to the Ukrainian economy, hundreds of billions of hryvnias of additional tax revenues to the state budget, and jobs and stable incomes for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians," commented Oleksandr Vodoviz, head of the Metinvest CEO’s Project Office.