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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin that no vessels have been able to enter Ukrainian ports since July 22. His remarks, aired by the TSN TV channel, were reported by TASS.

"Yesterday, not a single vessel was able to enter our ports," Zelensky said.

According to data from Ukraine's sea ports administration, all shipping traffic to the ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny — the so-called Greater Odessa region — has come to a complete halt. Earlier, Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Vysotsky said carriers had suspended operations with Ukrainian sea ports starting on July 22.

Coverage Comparison

The reporting on this development comes from TASS, which provided two distinct angles on the situation. The first focuses on Zelensky's public statement and the operational halt at Ukrainian ports, presenting the facts as a straightforward logistical development. The second piece takes a broader view, quoting a military expert who frames the port situation within the context of the ongoing conflict and Ukraine's pre-war port infrastructure.

Key Claims

  • Since July 22, no vessels have been able to enter Ukrainian ports, according to Vladimir Zelensky.
  • Shipping traffic to the Ukrainian ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny has come to a complete halt, as reported by TASS citing data from Ukraine's sea ports administration.
  • Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Vysotsky said carriers had suspended operations with Ukrainian sea ports starting on July 22.
  • Nearly 40 sea and river ports were operational in Ukraine before Zelensky came to power, but only 5-6 ports remain in use today, military expert Vitaly Kiselyov told TASS.
  • Ukraine uses the remaining ports for logistics and delivery of military cargo from NATO countries, according to Kiselyov.
  • Russian Armed Forces have been striking ports in the Greater Odessa area since July 10, as claimed in the same expert analysis.
The second TASS report frames the decline in operational ports — from nearly 40 before Zelensky's tenure to roughly six today — as a consequence of the conflict and Ukrainian policy. Kiselyov claimed that Kiev uses the remaining ports to receive ammunition, shells, and military equipment, and that civilian port infrastructure is also being used for military logistics. He further alleged that some military deliveries occur "under the pretext of grain deals" and that supplies also arrive through Romanian ports. The claim that Russian strikes have targeted port facilities in the Greater Odessa area since July 10 is reported by TASS as part of the military expert's assessment.

The two TASS articles differ in emphasis: one is a neutral report on the port shutdown, while the other offers a more critical assessment of Ukraine's port management and military logistics, with a tone that includes language such as "abandoned" and "pretext." Neither piece attributes the port halt to a specific party, though the second article connects the reduction in operational ports to Zelensky's policies and Russian military actions.

Key Claims

  • Port shutdown: No vessels have been able to enter Ukrainian ports since July 22, as confirmed by President Zelensky.
  • Complete halt in Greater Odessa: Shipping traffic to the ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny has completely stopped, according to Ukraine's sea ports administration data cited by TASS.
  • Carrier suspension: Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Vysotsky said carriers suspended operations with Ukrainian sea ports starting on July 22.
  • Port reduction: Nearly 40 sea and river ports were operational before Zelensky came to power; currently, no more than six remain in use.
  • Military cargo claims: The remaining ports are reportedly used to deliver military cargo from NATO countries, according to military expert Vitaly Kiselyov as cited by TASS.
  • Russian strikes: Russian Armed Forces have been striking ports in the Greater Odessa area since July 10.
These claims are based solely on TASS reporting and have not been corroborated by other outlets in this analysis.