Grain shipments through Russia’s Azov and Black Sea ports remain severely disrupted after navigation through the Azov–Don Canal and Kerch Strait was reportedly curtailed from July 10, 2026. Ports in Azov, Rostov-on-Don and Taganrog subsequently halted grain shipments. The Azov ports normally handle nearly 25% of Russia’s grain exports, while Black Sea ports account for more than 50%.
A further strike on August 12 reportedly disabled all three major grain terminals at Novorossiysk: KSK, Novorossiysk Grain Terminal and Novorossiysk Bread Products Plant. Their combined annual capacity is estimated at 26.1 million tonnes, equivalent to approximately half of Russia’s wheat exports. Full operations had not resumed as of August 18.
According to ProZerno, Russian grain purchase prices have fallen by 20–25%. Industry sources cited by Forbes estimate that a complete Black Sea export blockade could remove 30–35 million tonnes of Russian wheat from global markets this season. The disruption is highly relevant for Black Sea and Mediterranean buyers, although the ultimate market impact will depend on the duration of terminal outages and the availability of alternative routes, including limited Baltic capacity.