Ukrainian attacks disrupt main corridor for Russian grain exports

Bloomberg

Saturday, July 11, 2026 14:26 | 1 minute read

Russia said that Ukraine targeted four ships with drones in the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov overnight, in the second attack on the area since Friday, disrupting navigation through a main corridor for Russian grain exports.

The targeted ships included a tanker loaded with methanol, with no risk of spill or leak reported, according to Rostov region governor Yuri Slyusar in a Telegram post on Saturday morning. He added that the attack killed a sailor on board one of the ships, while warnings of drone threats continued across the Rostov region.

Wheat prices jumped as traders anticipated potential shipping disruptions following the Ukrainian attacks.

Escalation disrupts navigation through Don-Azov canal

The nighttime attack on the Sea of Azov port was the second in two days. Emergency teams continued until Friday evening to extinguish fires at oil facilities in the coastal cities of Taganrog and Azov following the Ukrainian attacks, according to the governor's posts. Ukraine announced that it targeted more than 12 ships in Russian waters on Friday, without specifying their locations.

Russia temporarily suspended navigation through the Don-Azov canal, a major waterway connecting the Don River to the Sea of Azov, according to Reuters citing sources in the grain export sector. It also closed the Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea, from 6:10 p.m. local time on Friday, according to the agency.

In response, Russia launched a new attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight, injuring ten people, according to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service in a Facebook post.

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