Estonia to help Ukraine restore sea infrastructure destroyed by Russia

TALLINN - In a video meeting on Wednesday with Vasyl Shkurakov, first deputy minister for communities, territories, and infrastructure development of Ukraine, Estonian Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Svet affirmed Estonia's readiness to support Ukraine's efforts in restoring its sea infrastructure.

In cooperation with Ukrainian partners, the Estonian Climate Ministry has developed a comprehensive plan to rebuild ports and fleets damaged by Russian attacks. Currently, they are seeking funding for the plan, which has a budget of 589 million euros.

"We have taken the initiative to help restore the most critical and urgent needs of Ukraine's maritime economy," Svet said. "This way, we can directly contribute to Ukraine's victory and, in the long term, support their maritime industry."

The ministers agreed to establish a Ukraine-Estonia working group to strengthen cooperation in implementing the plan and improve information exchange. Ukrainian representatives will also participate in meetings with potential funders worldwide, involving parties from Estonia who were part of developing the plan.

According to Shkurakov, more than half of the Black Sea ports have been rendered inoperable due to Russian attacks. Maintaining functional sea routes is crucial for Ukraine, as the Black Sea is not only essential for grain exports but also for the import of fuel and other goods.

Before the ministers' video meeting, the commander of the Ukrainian Navy sent the Estonian infrastructure minister a list of critical needs amounting to 151 million euros for conducting or supporting military operations in Ukrainian maritime areas, to ensure maritime security and situational awareness.

The Ukrainian Navy plays a leading role in the country's maritime operations and has the best understanding of the most critical needs. The 151 million euro requirement identified by the Ukrainian Navy is part of the UA Maritime Recovery Plan, constituting about 25 percent of the plan.

"Helping Ukraine is our moral duty, but it also strengthens our economy. Estonia has competitive and innovative companies in almost all maritime sectors, so we, along with the Estonian maritime cluster, are ready to contribute in areas such as shipbuilding, national defense, port construction, and explosive ordnance disposal," Svet added.

In addition to restoring Ukraine's destroyed fleet and ports and demining the Black Sea, Estonian companies are also prepared to contribute to maritime logistics, IT solutions, and the establishment of various surveillance systems.

Estonia, in cooperation with Ukraine, has presented the plan to many partners within the EU and NATO, as well as to various donor organizations.