Ukrainian drone and missile strike damages grain terminals at Novorossiysk port, halting shipments

A large Ukrainian drone and missile strike on the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk on Wednesday night damaged multiple major grain export terminals, killed at least three people — including an eight-year-old child — and injured 24 others, according to BBC World, while also prompting an emergency declaration in the city and a temporary halt to grain shipments.

Three of Russia's largest grain terminals in the port were affected. According to The Japan Times, citing people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified, a loading gallery at United Grain Co.'s Novorossiysk Grain Plant collapsed and several silos were damaged; a gallery and truck unloading facility at Demetra's terminal were also hit; and the KSK terminal sustained damage. BBC World reported that a major grain trading company confirmed to Russia's TASS news agency that its terminal had been struck, and another confirmed the same to Reuters and Russian outlet RBK.

Grain shipments from Novorossiysk are currently impossible because of serious damage to terminal infrastructure, according to The Japan Times, citing the same anonymous sources. The Japan Times reported that wheat futures rose as much as 4% in Chicago on Wednesday, the largest intraday advance in three weeks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had launched rocket and underwater drones in what he described as a 'unique operation' targeting the Russian naval base at Novorossiysk. He did not mention grain terminals being hit, according to BBC World. Most of Russia's Black Sea fleet is docked at Novorossiysk after relocating from Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea, which BBC World noted had become too exposed to Ukrainian strikes.

According to BBC World, repeated explosions were reported over the city throughout the night as air defences engaged aerial objects. An emergency situation was declared in Novorossiysk, with drone strikes damaging pipelines and suspending the city's water supply. Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev stated that several locations in the surrounding Krasnodar region were struck by 'several hundred drones,' with dozens of buildings, including homes, damaged, and one man killed by drone debris.

Russia's agriculture ministry announced it was working to redirect cargo flows to ports in the Baltic and Caspian Seas as well as land routes, citing 'current logistical constraints,' without referencing Ukraine's attacks, according to BBC World.

In a separate development reported by BBC World, Russia launched aerial strikes that killed at least 11 civilians overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, with the majority dying when Russia struck the city of Zaporizhzhia with ballistic missiles and glide bombs.

Both sources noted that Russia and Ukraine have resumed attacks on each other's ports and commercial shipping in the Black Sea after a period of relative calm. BBC World reported that Ukraine's recent strikes in the eastern Black Sea have disrupted Russian grain shipments, and that a Moscow-based analytics company estimated Russian wheat exports for August could fall by more than half compared to the same month over the prior five years. BBC World also noted that the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club reported a 23% drop in Ukrainian exports in July following Russian strikes on cargo ships and the port of Odesa.

Where sources differ

• The Japan Times describes the attack as a drone strike only, while BBC World characterises it as a combined drone and missile strike.
• The Japan Times does not report any casualties; BBC World reports three killed, including an eight-year-old child, and 24 injured.
• The Japan Times states that Russia and Ukraine account for 'more than a quarter of global wheat exports'; BBC World describes their combined share as 'a significant share of global grain trade' without specifying a precise fraction.

• Neither source establishes the full extent of structural damage to each terminal or an estimated timeline for resuming operations.
• The precise number of drones and missiles used in the attack is not confirmed by any official source.
• It is not confirmed which specific vessels, if any, at the naval base were damaged.
• The long-term impact on global grain supply chains and prices beyond the immediate 4% wheat futures rise is not established.
• No independent assessment of the damage to grain infrastructure has been reported; accounts rely on anonymous sources or company statements to news agencies.
• The identity and affiliation of the grain terminal companies that confirmed damage to TASS, Reuters, and RBK are not fully specified across the sources.
• Russia's military has not been quoted directly on the naval base strike or its consequences for the Black Sea fleet.

1. The Japan Times — original — by The Japan Times
2. BBC World — by Laura Gozzi

Read the original at The Japan Times

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