It has become much more difficult for Russia to export grain by sea.
Russian grain exporters are facing difficulties after Ukraine’s strikes on the Kerch bridge and Russian warships in the port of Novorossiysk. Russian marine terminals on the Sea of Azov have already stopped receiving grain from suppliers due to storage facilities being near capacity, reports Bloomberg. As a result, queues of trains that cannot unload have formed near the Azov terminals.
Market analysts say this problem is growing because almost all port grain storage capacities are occupied. Ships departing from Russian ports on the Sea of Azov usually transship grain onto larger vessels in the Kerch Strait, which then take it across the Black Sea to final buyers.
But Russia restricted shipping through the strait for security reasons after the attack on the Kerch Bridge. Last weekend, Kyiv also attacked a Russian oil tanker near the Kerch Strait. This may force some shipowners to be more careful when entering Russian Federation ports on the Black Sea.