Choosing a method of cargo delivery from Ukraine. Freight transportation and the transport system of Ukraine for international shipments

Ukraine is an Eastern European country, formerly the second largest by area and economic size, after Russia, in the former USSR. The economy of Ukraine relies on industry, agriculture, and services. Despite a decent GDP size, when calculated per capita, Ukraine turns out to be the poorest country in Eastern Europe. Over the years of independence, the country has experienced 2 revolutions and the annexation of Crimea. Ukraine shares borders with Poland, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia, and Moldova.

Transport infrastructure of Ukraine and its condition

By European standards, Ukraine is a very large country by area. Three important international transport corridors pass through its territory. However, the transit capabilities of the country are far from being fully utilized. The conflict with Russia complicates cargo transportation from Ukraine not only to Russia itself but also to the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Nevertheless, the transport infrastructure for freight transportation in Ukraine has been established. The state has transport infrastructure for all modern types of transport: air, road, rail, and water.

Ukrainian roads and their condition

The condition of Ukrainian roads for road freight transport is a constant source of complaints. Many highways are in disrepair. Road repairs are carried out poorly, and repaired roads soon return to their original state. In the ranking of road conditions, Ukraine ranked 130th. However, in this ranking, a large number of former Soviet republics are concentrated in the same part. Therefore, the condition of Ukrainian roads will not cause particular surprise among drivers from CIS countries. Major highways allow for the transportation of goods by road.

The total length of roads in Ukraine is 169.5 thousand km. 166 thousand kilometers of roads have a solid surface. The length of motorways is 199 km. There are no toll roads in Ukraine.

Infrastructure for air freight transportation

Ukraine has 187 airports. 108 of them have a runway with a solid surface. The most important airports in Ukraine are located in:

• Kyiv. The capital has 2 major airports.
• Dnipro.
• Zaporizhzhia.
• Lviv.
• Mariupol.
• Mykolaiv.
• Odesa.
• Kharkiv.
• Vinnytsia.

Water transport for cargo transportation

There are 1672 km of waterways in Ukraine where vessels with a deadweight of over 500 tons can navigate. The main water transport artery of the country is the Dnipro River and the reservoirs on it. Additionally, navigation and cargo transportation are possible on the Danube, Dniester, Desna, Stryi, Horyn, Southern Bug, and Seversky Donets rivers. International river cargo transportation mainly takes place on the Danube.

Ukraine has access to the Black and Azov Seas. This provides the opportunity to import goods from around the world and transport cargo from Ukraine to any continent. The main seaports of Ukraine are located in Yuzhne, Illichivsk (now Chornomorsk), Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Mariupol.

Railway network

The network of Ukrainian railways has a total length of 21,733 km. The majority of railway tracks have a gauge of 1520 mm. This is the standard in all countries that were previously part of the USSR. In these countries, cargo can be transported by rail without transshipment along the way. In Europe, the gauge is 1435 mm. In this direction, railway cargo must be transshipped at the border. To facilitate transshipment, Ukraine has 49 km of railways with a European standard gauge. 9,299 km of Ukrainian railways are electrified.

What goods does Ukraine export

In terms of export volume, in monetary terms, the main export goods of Ukraine are: sunflower oil, metallurgical semi-finished products, corn, fruits, wheat, and iron ore.