Moscow, Russia – A Ukrainian drone attack has inflicted “significant damage” on a major grain export terminal at Russia’s Taman port on the Kerch Strait, according to an agricultural market source cited by Reuters. The terminal, controlled by Demetra, one of Russia’s largest agricultural firms, has a capacity of 5 million metric tons. The attack is the latest in a series of escalating strikes targeting agricultural export facilities and commercial vessels in the Black Sea area by both Russia and Ukraine.
The Taman port attack follows a halt in shipping in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, which previously handled up to one-quarter of Russian grain exports, due to drone attacks since July 10. Russian exporters have been forced to redirect grain from southern regions away from the Sea of Azov to deep-sea grain terminals in the Black Sea, but attacks on these ports have also intensified. This disruption has contributed to rising international wheat prices amid concerns over Black Sea supplies. In a separate attack on Thursday, Ukrainian drones also hit a sunflower oil export facility at Taman owned by Efko, another major Russian agriculture firm, though sources described the damage as not significant.
Both Demetra and Efko declined to comment on the attacks. The Russian prosecutor’s office confirmed that Ukrainian drones had targeted Taman. The attacks underscore the growing vulnerability of critical agricultural infrastructure in the region, with global markets closely monitoring the impact on food exports. As the conflict continues to escalate, the Black Sea grain trade remains a key battleground, with significant implications for global food security and commodity prices.
