Shipping data show Russia's seaborne grain exports fell 61.9% YoY in August to
2.0 mln tonnes, driven by a collapse in shipments via the Azov–Black Sea basin.
Russia and Ukraine have sharply escalated attacks on each other's shipping;
after drone strikes Russian authorities suspended navigation in the Sea of Azov
in early July, and an Aug. 12 attack halted loading at Novorossiysk, Russia's
largest Black Sea port. Seaborne grain exports in the first two months of the
2026/27 season fell to 4.2 mln tonnes from 8.0 mln tonnes a year earlier.
Exports via Azov and Black Sea ports were down 73.1% YoY to 1.3 mln tonnes in
August. Exporters are seeking alternatives including Baltic ports, but northwest
Russian port capacity remains limited; Baltic shipments rose only to 276,300
tonnes in August.
