Turkey has been one of Ukraine’s key strategic partners for a long time. Over the past 5 years, economic relations between the countries have developed dynamically. The war unleashed by Russia has made significant adjustments to the established schemes and routes for the delivery of goods from Asian countries to Ukraine. Turkey is the most important logistics hub through which goods are delivered from Europe to Asia and vice versa. Therefore, for Ukrainian logistics companies, cargo transportation from Turkey, which was in great demand even before the start of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, is very important. Now this is one of the busiest routes through which goods are delivered from Turkey, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan and many other countries.
How is cargo delivered from Turkey to Ukraine in wartime conditions?
Until February 24, 2022, cargo transportation to Turkey from Ukraine and in the opposite direction was carried out by all types of transport. Constant shelling of Odessa, Nikolaev and many other cities of Ukraine, missile attacks on infrastructure, blockade of sea ports, temporary occupation of Crimea and part of the Kherson region, made sea cargo transportation impossible, as well as air delivery, since air traffic over the territory of Ukraine is closed. Therefore, transport companies had to quickly rebuild logistics chains and replace air and railway cargo transportation to Turkey with delivery by trucks. Only large logistics enterprises with their own fleet of vehicles, established partnerships with foreign carriers and sufficient experience in this area were able to effectively cope with this task.
In the current conditions, multimodal transportation of various types of products is becoming increasingly popular. Goods are delivered to Turkish seaports and airports from different parts of the world, and then they are loaded onto trucks and sent to Ukraine. Locally produced goods from Turkey to Ukraine are also constantly delivered. Mainly:
- Textile products;
- Clothing;
- Shoes;
- Olive oil;
- Medications;
- Medical equipment;
- Appliances;
- Agricultural products;
- Industrial equipment spare parts and components;
- Cosmetics and cosmetics;
- Dangerous (ADR) goods.
This is not a complete list of goods transported from Turkey to Ukraine and in the opposite direction. Therefore, in order to ensure the delivery of such a wide range of products, it is necessary to use different types of trucks - eurotrucks, platforms, grain carriers, tractors, tanks, Jumbo, automatic couplers, timber trucks, refrigerators, insulated vans, car transporters and others.
How cargo transportation from Turkey to Ukraine changed during the war
It should be immediately noted that with the onset of Russian military aggression, the transportation of commercial goods was greatly reduced, the main emphasis was placed on essential goods and humanitarian aid coming from many countries of the world. After the first months of the war, Ukrainian business began to resume its activities, which is very important for the country’s economy, and cargo transportation to Turkey began to increase rapidly again. First of all, these are agricultural goods - grain and oilseed crops, as well as products of metallurgical enterprises. Cargo delivery times have increased slightly, and the price of cargo transportation to Turkey and back has also increased. This is explained by changes in the usual routes for transporting goods, large queues at border checkpoints and an increase in fuel prices.
Separately, it should be noted the large number of citizens of Ukraine who, due to the war, were forced in the first days of the war to leave their own houses and apartments, destroyed by rocket attacks and artillery shelling, or found themselves in temporarily occupied territory. Many families, mostly women with children and elderly people, as well as disabled people, went abroad taking with them only the essentials. Now relatives can send a parcel to Turkey with personal belongings and support their loved ones. It is very important that the Ukrainian cargo transportation market continues to operate actively and develop dynamically in conditions of war. This is achieved thanks to the dedicated work of transport company employees, the introduction of innovative technologies, optimization of work processes and the assistance of foreign partners.
