Major Russian grain export terminal hit in Ukraine Black Sea port attack
Grain exports from both Russia and Ukraine are falling as both countries attack each other's shipping facilities and ports.
Following a Ukrainian drone assault on the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Russia's agriculture ministry announced plans to reroute cargo to alternative ports.
A "massive" Ukrainian drone and missile strike on Novorossiysk, Russia's last major naval base on the Black Sea, caused damage to grain export terminals. The Wednesday night attack resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including an eight-year-old child, and left 24 people injured.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had launched rockets and underwater drones in a "unique operation" targeting the Russian naval base at Novorossiysk, though he did not specifically mention damage to grain terminals. Zelensky stated, "The occupying fleet and all the infrastructure that supports it will not be safe as long as Russian aggression continues."
Most of Russia's Black Sea fleet is now stationed in Novorossiysk, one of Russia's largest ports, after being compelled to relocate from its previous home base in Sevastopol, located in the Russia-occupied Crimean peninsula, due to its vulnerability to Ukrainian attacks.
A major grain trading company confirmed to Russia's TASS news agency that its terminal had been hit, with another company relaying the same information to Reuters and Russian outlet RBK.
On Wednesday, the Russian agriculture ministry declared its efforts to redirect cargo flows to ports in the Baltic and Caspian Seas, as well as via land routes. While not directly referencing Ukraine's attacks, the ministry cited "current logistical constraints."
Reports indicated repeated explosions throughout the night over Novorossiysk as air defenses intercepted aerial objects. An emergency situation was declared in the city on Wednesday after the drone barrage struck areas around the port, damaging pipelines and disrupting the city's water supply.
Elsewhere in the region, a man was killed by drone debris, according to Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev. Kondratyev added that "several hundred drones" struck multiple locations in the surrounding Krasnodar region overnight, damaging dozens of buildings, including homes.
Meanwhile, Moscow launched its own aerial strikes, killing at least 11 civilians overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. The majority of these deaths occurred when Russia struck the city of Zaporizhzhia with ballistic missiles and glide bombs.
Russia initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. After a period of relative calm in the Black Sea, Kyiv and Moscow resumed striking each other's ports and shipping this summer.
The last remaining sea route out of Ukraine has been severely impacted by several deadly Russian strikes on cargo ships and the port of Odesa, through which Moscow aims to deter foreign companies from trading with Ukraine. In July, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) reported a 23% decrease in exports.
Concurrently, Ukraine has become increasingly proficient at conducting long-range strikes on Russian territory. Its recent attacks on vessels in the eastern Black Sea have also disrupted Russia's grain shipments.
Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter. However, according to a Moscow-based analytics company, exports for August could decline by more than half compared to the same month over the last five years due to disruptions in the Black and Azov seas.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of striking Russian grain and agricultural infrastructure, leading to a rise in global food prices and growing grain shortages.
Zakharova also stated that Russia would continue striking "facilities that [Ukraine's armed forces] use on the Black Sea to destabilise the navigation situation" until "the full elimination of threats to security projected to the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea."
Concerns about the war in Ukraine's impact on global food supplies have persisted since Moscow's invasion in 2022. Together, Russia and Ukraine account for a significant portion of global grain trade, particularly for buyers in North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
The 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative, under which Russia agreed to lift its blockade on Ukraine's agricultural exports, ended after Moscow resumed attacks on vessels using the maritime corridors to Odesa the following year.