Russia’s agriculture and transport ministries announced on Tuesday that they are preparing to redirect agricultural cargo from the Sea of Azov after a wave of Ukrainian strikes on civilian vessels, while shipping in the shallow inland sea remained restricted, according to Reuters sources. The disruption marks the most significant interruption to Black Sea grain trade since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, affecting a corridor that handles roughly a quarter of Russia’s grain exports.

Moscow’s agriculture ministry stated that the situation “will not affect the domestic market’s food supply or our country’s export capabilities,” citing significant transshipment capacity in other Russian regions. The transport ministry added that, if necessary, bulk cargo would be shifted to other modes of transport, and port operators are working to streamline traffic and reduce handling times. The Russian Union of Grain Exporters and Producers separately assured that infrastructure reserves allow volumes to be swiftly redirected to alternative terminals and that obligations to foreign buyers would be met in full. Industry representatives noted that the new harvest in southern Russia has not yet reached seaports, and grain shipments typically slow in the pre-harvest period, which may ease immediate logistical pressure.

Ukraine’s drone forces commander said on Tuesday that Ukrainian units had struck 116 vessels over the preceding nine days, including tankers and cargo ships in the Sea of Azov, as part of a campaign to damage Russia’s “shadow fleet” and restrict fuel supplies to occupied Crimea. The strikes at sea coincide with a sharp intensification of long-range Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure, which have caused nationwide fuel shortages. Viewed from Kyiv, the targeting of logistics in the Azov Sea extends a strategy of degrading the military and economic supply lines that sustain Russia’s occupation of southern Ukraine and the annexed peninsula.

The Sea of Azov, bordered by Russia, Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, and annexed Crimea, is a vital conduit for agricultural exports, including grain from occupied territories that Kyiv describes as stolen. Previous attacks on civilian shipping in the area include a drone strike on a wheat dry-cargo vessel near the Arabat Spit in April 2026 that caused casualties and sank the ship, and attacks on the cargo vessels Natra and Zirkon in the Taganrog Gulf in June 2026. Russian officials are now working with business and relevant agencies to develop alternative multimodal routes, including river corridors via Tatarstan and Samara Oblast toward northwestern ports, and are considering extending the navigation season on inland waterways. The agriculture ministry confirmed that alternative cargo flow routes are being elaborated jointly with industry.