Putin Orders Rail Priority for Russian Grain Exports Amid Black Sea Disruptions

President Vladimir Putin has directed Russian Railways to prioritize grain exports over other freight, including coal, following disruptions caused by Ukrainian drone attacks on southern shipping hubs. The shift elevates grain shipments to the third-highest priority category, typically reserved for cargo under direct presidential orders.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the move, stating that Putin instructed the Agriculture Ministry to develop alternative export routes for Russian grain. The change comes amid a 465% surge in daily rail deliveries of agricultural goods to northwestern Russia in September.

Companies are repurposing terminals at Baltic and Arctic ports to handle grain exports, though market analysts caution that these ports lack the infrastructure to manage long-term, high-volume grain shipments. Russia's overall grain exports fell nearly fourfold in September year-on-year to 1.7 million metric tons, with shipments from Novorossiysk dropping tenfold.

Consultancy SovEcon has revised its forecast for Russia’s 2026/27 grain exports, cutting it from 49.4 million to 44.7 million metric tons, anticipating ongoing disruptions in the Black Sea until at least 2027.