ZIM is returning to Ukraine with the relaunch of its LBX service, the only direct container route connecting Israel and Ukraine. According to the company, the first vessel – ZIM Australia – is scheduled to call at the Port of Pivdennyi on 2 December 2025.
The dsrect Haifa–Pivdennyi connection offers a six-day transit time and provides access to ZIM’s global network, including routes to Asia, North and South America, and Atlantic destinations. The service is open to a broad cargo mix ranging from refrigerated goods and oils to timber, food products, grain, and used vehicles, reinforcing its role in both Ukrainian export and import flows.
The return of LBX (Levant–Black Sea Express), marks a significant shift after nearly four years of disruption. Before the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, ZIM vessels regularly called at Odesa, Chornomorsk and other Ukrainian ports under the BSU and later LBX rotations (lines between Haifa, the Black Sea, Turkey, Greece, and Ukraine. Once the war began, direct calls stopped due to security risks. From mid-2022 onward, cargo moved only through alternative routes via Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Germany and Poland, with land transit into Ukraine. In 2024, ZIM formally removed Ukrainian ports from the TBX/LBX network, signalling an indefinite pause.
The newly reinstated LBX eliminates the need for third-country transshipment and long transit detours. Ukrainian and Israeli businesses regain a fast, predictable and cost-efficient corridor – a key step toward restoring normal trade flows in the region.
“This is another step towards restoring Ukraine’s sustainable maritime communication – and an important signal for the entire market.” – noted in the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine.
