Azov-Black Sea logistics failure: Russia scrambles to reroute grain exports

Russia is revising its grain export strategy following a critical logistics failure in the Azov-Black Sea basin. Damage to key terminal infrastructure and security risks have forced the Ministry of Agriculture to seek alternative shipping routes and consider resuming state procurement to stabilize the market. Infrastructure Damage and Port Disruptions The logistical collapse stems from targeted damage to transshipment facilities. On July 30, infrastructure at the Taman port was damaged; subsequent attacks in August hit terminals in Novorossiysk. Specifically, the Novorossiysk Grain Terminal—with an annual capacity of 8.5 million tons—suspended operations, and the Novorossiysk Combine of Bread Products, which has a capacity of 7.1 million tons per year, sustained damage. Additionally, on August 13, the Delo Group halted operations at the KSK terminal due to security concerns. These disruptions are expected to significantly impact August shipping volumes. According to ProZerno data, Russian exports for the month may drop to 2.5 million tons—a 2.3-fold decrease compared to the 5.7 million ton average recorded between 2021 and 2025.