Ukraine wants to transport grain by rail through Moldova to the Romanian port of Constanta.
This is reported by Ukrainian and Moldovan sources to Reuters.
At the same time, Ukraine has asked Moldova for a 50% discount on the transportation of Ukrainian grain. According to the interlocutors, Moldova is ready to guarantee a certain volume of cargo. The countries are currently discussing the terms and volumes of transit.
Oleg Tofilat, the former head of Moldovan railways, told Reuters that trains could transport up to 4.5 million tons of grain per year through Moldova. Ukraine estimates that such a route could provide about 10% of exports.
The need to find an alternative route arose due to the intensification of Russian attacks on the port infrastructure of the Odessa region. More than 90% of Ukrainian grain exports are accounted for by seaports. In addition, Ukraine already used the railway route through Moldova for grain exports in 2022-2023.
Due to Russian strikes, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine has lowered the forecast for grain exports in the 2026-2027 season from 43 to 38-40 million tons.
- Moldovan Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Volodymyr Bolea visited the Odessa region on August 9, where he discussed the development of railway connections and the expansion of transit with his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Kalashnyk. Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said that the country should not miss the opportunity to earn millions of euros from the transit of Ukrainian grain.
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