23 May 2026
(ILLUSTRATION: minfin.com.ua)
In the first quarter of 2026, the southern regions of Ukraine showed different results in trade in services. Odesa region was losing exports due to problems with maritime logistics, Mykolaiv region was increasing its performance, and Kherson region remained under pressure from the war and shelling.
Intent analyzed the data from the Department of Statistics in Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions.
Odesa region traditionally remains the main logistics center of the south. In the first three months of the year, exports of services amounted to more than $140 million, but this is only 78.8% of last year's figures. Imports of services amounted to $117.1 million, down 7.9%. Transportation services, primarily maritime transportation and port logistics, accounted for almost $102 million of Odesa's exports.
Despite the overall decline, some areas in the Odesa region are showing growth. In particular, exports of material processing services increased more than 4 times to $2.3 million. Exports of computer, telecommunications, and information services also increased to $17.8 million (+3.9%).
Other notable categories include business services, whose exports amounted to $14 million, although this is 14.8% less than last year. Imports of business services, on the other hand, increased by 25.8% to $12.1 million. Imports of travel-related services also increased to $2.8 million (+59%), while their exports decreased to $925 thousand (-34.2%).
Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Cyprus, and the United States became the region's largest partners. At the same time, exports of services to Turkey fell sharply, and some sea transportation remains unstable due to security risks in the Black Sea.
In the first quarter of 2026, Mykolaiv region showed positive dynamics in foreign trade in services. According to the infographic, exports of services grew by 11.5% compared to the same period last year, while imports decreased by 19.6%. Transportation services remain the mainstay of the region's exports, accounting for more than 62% of the total. Business services account for another 17%, and telecommunications, computer and information services account for about 10%.
In the first quarter of 2026, Mykolaiv region exported services worth USD 10.7 million, which is 11.5% more than in the same period last year. At the same time, imports of services decreased by almost 20% and amounted to USD 2.98 million.
Transportation services traditionally accounted for the largest share in exports - over USD 6.7 million. The main contribution came from maritime transportation - $5.3 million, although its volumes decreased slightly compared to last year. Instead, road transportation grew sharply, more than tripling to $1.26 million.
Business services were the second largest area in terms of volume, amounting to $1.82 million. Among them, scientific and technical services accounted for the largest share at $1.42 million.
The region also exported telecommunications, computer and information services for more than $1 million, which is 12.5% more than last year.
Imports of services in the region were mostly formed by the transportation sector - $1.56 million, as well as telecommunications and computer services - over $400 thousand. The role of the European Union is also noticeable: Mykolaiv region sent almost 40% of its service exports to the EU, and more than half of its imports came from there.
Kherson region remains the most closed in terms of statistics. Due to the security situation, most of the data in the reports is hidden or marked as confidential. It is only known that the structure of trade in services in the region is still based on business, information, and tourism services. However, the scale of operations is significantly lower than in other southern regions due to the occupation of part of the territory, constant shelling, and destruction of infrastructure.
Also, since the beginning of the 2025-2026 marketing year, Ukraine has exported more than 15.3 million tons of grains and pulses. In total, in 2025, the ports of Odesa region transported 147 million tons of cargo to 50 countries.
Анна Бальчінос