Moscow faces grain shipment challenges as ships attacked near Black Sea ports

Five grain ships near Russian Black Sea ports have been attacked as part of a broader Ukrainian campaign targeting Moscow’s commercial maritime infrastructure. The strikes on August 12 and 13 hit Novorossiysk, Russia’s primary deep-water grain export hub, damaging three major terminals and effectively freezing operations during harvest season. Russia and Ukraine together supply more than 25% of the world’s wheat exports. The damage at Novorossiysk The Ukrainian strikes targeted three critical facilities: the Novorossiysk Grain Plant (NKHP), Demetra’s Novorossiysk Grain Terminal, and the KSK terminal. All three have halted export operations. Over 90% of Russia’s grain export capacity in the Azov-Black Sea basin has been taken offline, a combination of direct strike damage and navigation restrictions imposed in the aftermath. Beyond the terminal damage, at least five grain ships were attacked near the ports of Novorossiysk and Tuapse, further complicating Moscow’s ability to move product out of the region. Novorossiysk had become Russia’s last viable deep-water grain export point after previous territorial losses earlier in the conflict. A summer of escalation on both sides Since lat...