Russia weighs new grain routes after Azov vessel strikes
Moscow says it is preparing other routes for grain cargoes after Ukraine reported more drone strikes on Russian vessels and refineries.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Russia said it is preparing to shift grain shipments away from the Sea of Azov after Ukraine reported a new round of attacks on Russian vessels there. The move points to growing pressure on Russian shipping and energy infrastructure as Kyiv extends strikes far beyond the front line.
Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture said Tuesday that officials were working on other sea routes and could move some cargo by different forms of transport. The ministry said the situation in the Sea of Azov would not disrupt food supplies inside Russia or reduce the country’s export capacity.
Ukrainian military commander Robert Brovdi said on Telegram that Ukrainian drones hit 11 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight. Brovdi said the targets were five tankers, five dry cargo ships and a tugboat, and that Ukrainian forces had struck 116 vessels over the previous nine days.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of terrorism over the maritime attacks. Lavrov said Ukraine’s actions went beyond piracy because, in his view, the purpose was to inflict damage and frighten people rather than seize goods.
The ship strikes came during a broader wave of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy assets, according to Russian officials and military statements from both sides. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defences shot down 288 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight.
Russian authorities said debris from one drone attack wounded one person and damaged homes in several villages. Officials in Russia’s Krasnodar region said an attack caused a fire at the Afipsky oil refinery.
Radiy Khabirov, the governor of Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan, said on Telegram that another Ukrainian strike hit an industrial area in the city of Salavat. The refinery there had previously been hit twice in September 2025, according to the report.
Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries have contributed to fuel shortages in Russia, and Moscow has responded by banning some fuel exports, according to the report. The pressure has coincided with rising global energy prices.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence also said Russian forces struck targets in Kyiv, port infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa region and fuel storage sites used by Ukrainian forces in the port of Yuzhny. Ukrainian navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said Russian forces hit a civilian vessel near Odesa, and he reported no casualties.
Ukrainian military officials said their air defences downed seven missiles and 108 drones across the country. The rival statements could not be independently verified from the battlefield reports.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.