Russian Attacks Devastate Ukrainian Grain Exports Amid EU Transit Concerns

Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports and EU restrictions are crippling the country's grain exports.

The conflict has resulted in a sharp decrease in grain export volumes, with Ukraine exporting only 463 thousand tons of grain during the first nine days of August, which is approximately one-third of normal levels.

The main reason for this decline has been Russia's attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea, particularly after a missile strike on a bulk carrier at the end of July that resulted in ten deaths.

New grain carriers have practically stopped entering ports near Odessa due to these attacks, and experts warn that if maritime transport remains blocked for an extended period, Ukraine may lack the capacity to store the new harvest grain.