Ukraine Strikes Russian Black Sea Port; Russia Hits Ukrainian Danube Grain Hub

Russia struck Ukraine's largest grain shipment port on the Danube overnight on August 13, causing damage and setting off a fire.

This attack followed Ukraine's August 12-13 assault on Novorossiysk, a major Russian Black Sea grain hub. The Ukrainian operation hit warships at a naval base and forced two major grain terminals to halt operations. Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported at least two people, including an eight-year-old child, were killed and 24 injured in Novorossiysk. Mayor Andrei Kravchenko stated the port suspended its water supply and declared an emergency, with damage to four enterprises, over two dozen residential buildings, and educational facilities.

Ukraine's SBU security service described the Novorossiysk attack as having strategic significance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said two frigates, a large landing ship, a corvette, and other vessels were hit, calling it a unique operation. Russia's agriculture ministry is working to redirect export flows to alternative routes. Russia's main grain lobby group warned last month that Ukrainian attacks could shut down Black Sea grain exports.

Chicago wheat futures rose around 3% after the Novorossiysk attack. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of seeking to provoke chaos on the global food market. US Vice President JD Vance requested in late July that Ukraine not target Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) infrastructure and non-Russian vessels, provided they were not under Ukrainian sanctions or carrying Russian oil or cargo.

Ukraine agreed to this request. US officials confirmed the request, stating CPC is a vital conduit of Kazakhstan-origin energy for European markets. Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter, and Ukraine is also a major agricultural exporter, with around 90% of its crop exports typically moving through the Black Sea. Moldova offers a rail lifeline for Ukrainian food exports.

Russia intensified its campaign against ports around Odesa in July, with 35 attacks on vessels in ports, 22 on ships at sea, and 67 on port facilities. On August 9, Russian forces struck the Mayaki bridge linking Odesa toward Moldova and Romania.