From August 11 to August 17, 2026, attacks on NKHP and NZT, the suspension of the KSK and the restrictions of Russian Railways until August 22 severely limited the work of the key grain hub of the Black Sea. The USDA lowered its forecast for wheat exports from Russia to 46 million tons, and part of the cargo is being redirected to the Baltic and the Far East.
Attack on terminals and suspension of KSK work
On August 12, PortNews reported damage to two grain terminals in the port of Novorossiysk after a night-time UAV attack. We are talking about NKHP (UGC Group) and NZT (Demeter Holding). UGC reported that the NKHP infrastructure was damaged, employees were not injured, and the terms of restoration will be clarified later. Demeter-Holding confirmed the damage to the NRT, but did not provide a timeline.
The next day, the Delo group announced via Interfax that the KSK grain terminal had been suspended. The terminal has stopped unloading road and rail transport, loading grain onto ships, and other operations for the safety of personnel and infrastructure. They promised to announce the resumption of work separately. In two days, the operation of the three main grain terminals in Novorossiysk was disrupted.
Russian Railways restrictions and the reorientation of some lines
On August 13, Russian Railways imposed temporary restrictions on the transportation of goods in the direction of Novorossiysk and Novorossiysk-export stations of the North Caucasus Railway. The restrictions are valid from August 13 to August 22. The company posted a notice on its website; details were shared with PortNews and InfraNews. In July, 1.5 million tons of grain were exported, of which 936 thousand tons went through the southern ports.
At the same time, part of the container lines is transferring calls from Novorossiysk to St. Petersburg and introducing war risk allowances. InfraNews records the temporary transfer of the Akkon Lines service to St. Petersburg. The Russian Railways Partner estimates the surcharges for transportation through Novorossiysk at about $1,000 per container and notes the flow of goods to St. Petersburg and the Far East. Russian Railways restricts shipments to the port from August 13 to 22, and part of the container flow is being redirected to the Baltic and faces additional costs.
Reorientation of flows to the east and gondola cars Global Ports
Restrictions on rail transportation in the direction of Novorossiysk increase the demand for alternative routes. According to the Russian Railways Partner, part of the cargo is being redirected to St. Petersburg, the Far East and railway routes; the market notes an increase in the cost of logistics from China against the background of container imbalance and redistribution of flows.
On August 14, the Global Ports Far Eastern terminal (Delo Group) reported an increase in the average daily loading of imported containers into gondolas in July by 26% compared to June, to 190 units. The record on July 22 was 327 gondola cars per day. The import of containers through the ports of the region in January–July increased by 41%, to 752 thousand TEU. Some trains are formed at Nakhodka-Vostochnaya station, some are sent directly from the terminal. The terminal plans to send at least three trains per day. While risks limit the operation of the southern ports, the Far Eastern terminal accepts imported containers in gondola cars and incurs costs due to container imbalances.
The headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Maritime Administration
On August 12, Minister Oksana Lut held a meeting on new routes for the export of grain and fat and oil products. According to Interfax, the Ministry of Agriculture is working to reorient flows to the ports of the Baltic Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Far East and land corridors and is preparing additional support measures. A headquarters will be set up for coordination with the participation of representatives of the regions, exporters and the transport and port infrastructure. His tasks will include procurement and export plans, price issues, approval of railway applications and monitoring shipments. First of all, the Rostov region: harvesting of early grain has been completed there.
On the same day, in the August review, the US Department of Agriculture lowered the estimate of wheat exports from Russia in the 2026/27 season by 1.5 million tons to 46 million tons against 47.5 million in July. The reason is logistical disruptions in the Azov and Black Seas. The forecast for the wheat harvest was left at 88.5 million tons, and the rolling stocks at the end of the season were increased to 13.59 million tons.
On August 14, the Ministry of Transport submitted for discussion a bill on the unified Maritime Administration of Russia. A new institution under the Ministry's jurisdiction will be created on the basis of the administrations of seaports; it will take over the registration of ships, certification of seafarers and fleet monitoring in the oceans. The captains of seaports will retain functions related to state port control, registration of entry and exit of vessels and safety of navigation in ports and on approaches to them. The public discussion will last until August 28, 2026.
The Novorossiysk Grain hub has been restricted due to attacks, the suspension of KSK operations and restrictions on the railway. The USDA lowered its forecast for Russian wheat exports, and some alternative routes are already more expensive. Logisticians should recalculate the southern slots, set up allowances and additional deadlines in advance for the Baltic and Far Eastern destinations, and prepare a backup plan in case the previous schedule in Novorossiysk is not immediately restored.