Russia said on Monday it was strengthening protection for ships operating in the Azov-Black Sea basin and developing alternative cargo routes following a sharp increase in maritime attacks linked to the war in Ukraine.
The Russian Transport Ministry said it had established a task force to identify new routes and redirect cargo flows to other forms of transport in response to what it described as a “tense situation in the Sea of Azov stemming from hostile drone attacks on maritime vessels.”
“A number of stevedoring companies have already expressed their readiness to handle additional cargo volumes and accelerate shipment rates at their terminals, within the limits of their operational capabilities,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that, together with Russia’s Defense Ministry, authorities were implementing “additional measures” to ensure navigational safety and protect vessels across the Azov-Black Sea basin.
Growing Risks to Grain Exports
The move comes after Russia and Ukraine, both major agricultural exporters, intensified attacks against each other’s grain facilities and commercial shipping in the Black Sea region in recent weeks.
Russia, the world’s largest wheat exporter, and Ukraine, also a significant supplier of agricultural products, have seen their maritime operations increasingly affected by drone attacks, contributing to higher wheat prices on global markets.
Russia’s main grain industry lobby warned on Friday that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian ships and ports could soon disrupt grain exports through the Black Sea, potentially driving prices higher and affecting food supplies in Africa and the Middle East.
Ukraine’s largest farming union, the UAC, has also warned that Russian strikes on shipping near the southern port of Odesa were restricting Ukrainian exports during a critical harvest period and could affect global food supplies.
