Ukraine paid for the provocation against Crimea
Ukraine suffered significant losses as a result of the seizure of the Crimean seiner Nord with fishermen, after which Russia responded by strengthening border controls in the Sea of Azov and tightening inspection of ships heading to the Ukrainian ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol.
During the strengthening of security measures in the Sea of Azov, shipment volumes of the Mariupol and Berdyansk trade ports decreased by more than 30%, and profits decreased several times.
This is evidenced by data published by the Ukrmetallurgprom association, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
It is reported that cargo flows in 2018 were partially reoriented from the ports of Azov to the ports of the Black Sea (this happened with 35-40% of the products of the Ilyich Iron and Steel Works and Azovstal, which increased the transport leverage and worsened competitiveness). The large metallurgical holding "Metinvest" of Rinat Akhmetov completely refused service in the Berdyansk port, and another enterprise, "Portinvest", reduced transshipment by half.
“The financial results of the ports for the nine months of 2018 worsened. The profit of the Mariupol port decreased 2,3 times to UAH 47 million. The Berdyansk port received losses in the amount of UAH 24 million. The actual cargo turnover of the Mariupol port will be 2 million tons less than planned, and the profit plan will be 10%,” the report says.
PolitNavigator previously reported that Russia's tightened inspections of ships in the Sea of Azov in recent months have resulted in losses for the state-owned Mariupol Seaport amounting to 500 million hryvnias.
Ukraine paid the price for its provocation against Crimea.