Russia Diversifies Grain Exports Amid Ongoing Ukraine Conflict

Russian grain exporters are changing their shipping routes due to Ukrainian attacks on ships and port infrastructure. As of August 18, requests for rail transport of grain to Russian Baltic ports have already reached 5 million metric tons, with Novorossiysk and Tuapse at about 6 million metric tons.

Russian exporters are also considering ports in the Baltic states, primarily Latvia. According to Andriy Sizov, head of the consulting firm Sovecon, the volume of such shipments could rise sharply in September.

The Baltic route cannot fully replace the Black and Azov Seas for Russian exporters, as the capacity of Russian grain terminals on the Baltic is estimated at a maximum of 7 million metric tons per year.