Germany's HHLA Pays Odessa Port Employees Month in Advance

German logistics and transportation company Hamburger Hafen und Logistik (HHLA) is paying its 480 employees at the port of Odessa a month’s salary in advance so they can stock up on goods after the Ukrainian port was closed on Thursday.

“HHLA as a group is not endangered in its substance by the events in Odessa,” said Chief Executive Angela Titzrath in a statement, adding that all HHLA employees had left the terminal.

Titzrath added that the company expected that its employees would be able “to continue their service on land at the terminal” because ports are considered critical infrastructure.

She added that it was too early to be able to determine the possible effects of sanctions, but it was likely that Russian ports would be affected by them.

Ukraine’s military suspended commercial shipping at its ports after Russian forces invaded the country, an adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff said, stoking fear of supply disruption from the leading grain and oilseeds exporters.

(Reuters - Reporting by Jan Schwartz; Writing by Miranda Murray; Editing by Maria Sheahan Editing by Emma Thomasson)