After the Grain Agreement was broken and the Black Sea blocked, Ukraine’s ports on the Danube are gaining importance for export. Russia knows this too and is targeting them. Rockets also hit near the Romanian border.
After Russia canceled the grain deal, Ukraine is looking for other ways to export its grains and oilseeds. Small ports on the Danube are gaining importance. According to local authorities, three grain silos were destroyed in Russian drone attacks on the port of Reni, which faces the Romanian bank of the Danube.
This brings combat operations closer to a NATO member. “This latest escalation poses a serious security risk in the Black Sea,” tweeted Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
The Danube became one of the most important grain transport routes since crossing the Black Sea became too dangerous. After the attack on Reni, around 30 freighters stopped their journey in front of the Ukrainian port of Ismail, further downstream, according to data from MarineTraffic. However, it was initially unclear whether this was due to Russian attacks. Ukrainian news agencies reported late-night explosions in the Ismail area.
Ukraine wants to increase exports
Currently, around two million tons are exported through the Danube ports. The remainder by rail and road transport. But Ukraine wants to increase exports by a million tons a month. “Today we have already managed to export about 3.5 million tons per month and in the near future there will be improvements up to 4.5 million tons,” said the head of the Ukrainian Grain Union, Mykola Horbachev, as reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, quoting Voice of America.
According to Horbachev, before the war, seven million tons were exported monthly through the Black Sea ports. During the war, around 33 million tons of agricultural products were exported through the so-called grain corridor in just under twelve months. However, Moscow withdrew from the grain deal a week ago and began attacking port facilities on the Black Sea and Danube with missiles and drones.
Impact of price attacks
According to experts, the attacks had an impact on the agricultural exchanges: there, the prices of futures contracts rose a lot. Wheat is up about seven percent and corn by five percent. It is feared that exports and shipping could be at risk.
“Russia has not attacked Ukraine’s land and grain infrastructure inland in recent months,” says a European trader. “Any disruption to this traffic could quickly affect international grain shipments.” A French merchant spoke of a heavy blow. “Without the Black Sea Corridor and now with attacks on alternative routes, it will be difficult to get Ukrainian grain out of the country.”
Putin wants to supply African countries with Russian grain
Many African countries are suffering from Russia’s war with Ukraine because they are dependent on grain and fertilizers from both countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin promised African states that he would supply them with Russian grain and fertilizer after the grain deal expired. Russia expects a “record harvest”, he assured on the Kremlin website ahead of the next Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg.