Context: Strikes by Ukrainian drones on Russian Black Sea ports have led to a decline in Russian grain exports. For instance, Russian Railways imposed restrictions on freight transportation to the Port of Novorossiysk, which took effect on August 13, 2026. In turn, the Russian side is striking storage facilities and terminals at Ukraine’s largest port in Odesa. Transportation across the Black Sea has become significantly more difficult for both sides.
On August 28, 2026, Aleksandr Tishchenko, the host of the PRO Armiyu program on SBTV and a national security expert, stated that Ukraine could no longer export grain via the Black Sea and that European countries were not offering alternative routes.
“Ukraine got itself into trouble, and its Black Sea ports are essentially no longer operational. No one approaches them, everyone is afraid of them. You’d think the Europeans would lend a hand. Why not try going through Romanian ports, using the railroad, or taking the highways? But they won’t allow it.”
Although Ukrainian grain exports have slowed significantly, they haven’t stopped. From August 1 to August 26, Ukraine exported 822,000 tons of grain. That’s about one-fifth of what the country could have potentially exported during that period.
Rail transport routes have also changed. Ukrainian Railways is sending fewer grain cars to the ports of Greater Odesa, and more to Danube ports and the western border. An average of about 160 grain railcars per day were sent toward the EU border in August. An average of 49 railcars a day passed through Romania, 48 through Poland, 35 through Slovakia, and 29 through Hungary. Meanwhile, as recently as July, only about two railcars carrying Ukrainian grain were passing through Romania per day. In other words, the flow in this direction increased dozens of times over the course of a month. The railway crossing between Ukraine and Romania is used not only for transporting grain, but also other goods. With these shipments, more than 100 railcars pass through the crossing each day.
Ukraine is aiming to double the rail transit of grain, but there are obstacles to overcome. Each neighboring country prioritizes transporting its own agricultural products. Local farmers also fear that without adequate transit controls, cheaper Ukrainian grain could remain on the domestic market. They worry that increased Ukrainian shipments will affect the transport of their own produce.
