Ukraine and Moldova Explore Rail Corridor for Grain Exports via Romania's Constanta Port

Ukraine and Moldova are discussing a rail corridor to move Ukrainian grain through Moldovan territory to Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta, as renewed Russian strikes on shipping disrupt exports during harvest season, according to sources cited by Reuters.

The talks center on transit volumes and terms: Ukraine is seeking a discount of around 50% on freight rates and reliable throughput, while Moldova wants guaranteed minimum volumes before committing infrastructure and rolling stock. Oleg Tofilat, former head of Moldovan Railways, estimated the corridor could handle up to 4.5 million tonnes of grain annually, potentially covering around 10% of Ukraine's export needs.

Moldova previously provided a rail transit route for Ukrainian grain in 2022-2023, before Ukraine restored a functioning Black Sea shipping corridor. The renewed interest reflects mounting pressure on Ukraine's maritime exports after a string of Russian attacks on vessels using the Odesa port hub, which have forced Kyiv to lower its grain export forecasts for the current season.

On August 12, Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan announced Moldova has agreed to transit up to 600,000 tonnes of Ukrainian foodstuffs by rail through the end of 2026 under a "solidarity lanes" arrangement — a first step covering roughly 1% of Ukraine's expected export volume, according to Ukraine's agriculture ministry, with talks continuing on the larger-scale corridor described above.