Ukrainian strikes on Russian ports disrupt grain and oil exports — DW
Ukrainian attacks using sea and aerial drones on the Black Sea ports of Russia, the aggressor state, have significantly disrupted grain and oil shipments. Novorossiysk, Russia’s largest port by cargo turnover, through which up to one-third of Russia’s grain exports pass, has been affected the most, Deutsche Welle reports.
Grain terminals halted operations
Andrey Sizov, head of agricultural consulting company SovEcon, reported on August 12 that the Novorossiysk Grain Products Plant and the Novorossiysk Grain Terminal had ceased operations. The following day, KSK, one of Russia’s largest deep-water grain terminals, also suspended operations.
At the end of July, a major grain terminal in Taman stopped operating. Before that, Ukraine had paralyzed the operations of the shallow-water ports of the Sea of Azov. At the time of publication, only Tuapse, the smallest of Russia’s deep-water grain terminals, was operating. According to Sizov, this means that virtually all Russian grain exports through the Azov-Black Sea basin are blocked.
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Oil supplies face disruptions
Oil exports have not stopped completely, but they are regularly disrupted. According to Reuters, the Sheskharis terminal, Russia’s main Black Sea oil export facility, which handles about 700,000 barrels per day, stopped loading on August 14 and resumed it two days later.
Isaac Levi, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, noted that reduced transportation is caused not only by damage to infrastructure. According to him, strikes on vessels deter ships from entering ports regarded as primary targets. CREA estimates that in the first two weeks of August, Novorossiysk shipped 30% less oil than during the same period last year.
Argus Media forecasts that Russia may have 45 million tonnes of wheat available for export in 2026–2027. About 90% of such shipments are usually made through the Black Sea, while alternative routes through Baltic or Danube ports cannot fully replace Black Sea infrastructure. Ukrainian grain exports have also sharply declined due to attacks on ports and vessels by both sides.
