Russia said on Tuesday it is preparing to reroute grain shipments from the Sea of Azov after several vessels came under Ukrainian attacks in the sea last week, raising concerns over disruption to a route that handles about a quarter of its grain exports.
Shipping in the Sea of Azov remained restricted on Tuesday, according to Reuters sources, marking the biggest disruption to the Black Sea grain trade since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Agriculture Ministry said the situation would not affect export volumes or domestic food supplies since grain could be redirected through alternative ports.
"Given Russia's significant capacity for transshipping agricultural cargo in various regions, supply logistics will be redirected if necessary," the ministry said in a statement.
Neither the agriculture nor the transport ministry, which issued a separate statement, confirmed that the restrictions on traffic in the Sea of Azov were in place.
