Russian grain lifeline rocked by huge Black Sea attack

The Russian agriculture ministry announced it was working to redirect cargo flows to alternative ports following a barrage of Ukrainian drones

A “massive” Ukrainian drone and missile barrage has hammered Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, damaging two major grain terminals and striking the last major Russian naval base in the region. Three people, including an eight-year-old child, were killed and 24 injured, according to local officials.

Ukraine strikes at Russia’s Black Sea stronghold

Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine used rockets, aircraft and naval drones in a “unique operation” targeting the Russian base. Kyiv’s military later claimed four Russian warships, including two frigates, were hit.

Most of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is now based at Novorossiysk after Ukrainian attacks forced vessels away from Sevastopol in occupied Crimea. Zelensky warned that Russia’s fleet and the infrastructure supporting it would remain targets while the war continues.

Grain terminals caught in the blast zone

The attack also struck two major grain export terminals, with companies confirming damage to their facilities. Russia’s agriculture ministry said it was preparing to divert cargo through Baltic and Caspian ports and overland routes, citing “current logistical constraints”.

Novorossiysk declared a state of emergency after explosions tore through the port area overnight. Pipelines were damaged and water supplies disrupted, while drone debris and strikes hit other parts of the Krasnodar region.

Black Sea trade faces a fresh shock

The escalation threatens an already fragile shipping corridor. Ukraine’s remaining maritime export route has suffered repeated Russian attacks, while Kyiv’s growing long-range strike capability has increasingly reached Russian ports and vessels.

Russia is the world’s biggest wheat exporter, but analysts in Moscow estimate August exports could fall by more than half against the average for the previous five years because of disruption in the Black and Azov seas.

Putin’s war threatens to widen the food shock

Russia and Ukraine remain major suppliers to global grain markets, particularly across North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. Moscow accused Kyiv of hitting agricultural infrastructure and warned it would continue attacking Ukrainian facilities it says threaten Black Sea security.

The latest strikes underline how the war is once again turning the Black Sea into a battlefield — with military targets, commercial shipping and the global food supply increasingly caught in the same crossfire.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y49xp2wrno