Russia has begun exporting grain through the Arctic port of Murmansk for the first time, as its Black Sea export routes remain badly disrupted by the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported.
Murmansk Commercial Seaport and Demetra Holding, one of Russia’s largest grain traders, said on 28 October that a first shipment of 3,400 tonnes of grain from key agricultural regions was being loaded. Shipping data and a market source cited by Reuters put a further roughly 28,000 tonnes of wheat due to be loaded at Murmansk for Casablanca, Morocco.
The first consignment reached the port by rail in 47 wagons, according to Demetra.
Ukrainian drone attacks in August badly damaged Russia’s main Black Sea grain hub at Novorossiysk. Grain shipped via Novorossiysk in September fell to about 177,800 tonnes, roughly 13 times lower than in August and far below the 2.4 million tonnes shipped a year earlier. Taman is idle and Tuapse is working at reduced capacity.
Murmansk’s grain-handling potential is estimated at 60,000-90,000 tonnes a month (about 0.7-1.1 million tonnes a year), compared with 46.3 million tonnes previously exported through Azov-Black Sea ports — so the Arctic route can only supplement, not replace, the southern network.
Market participants estimate moving grain north by rail costs three to five times more than the southern routes, which undermines the competitiveness of Russian wheat.
Turkey led an effort to introduce a ceasefire and resume Black Sea shipments, but Russia said it is no longer interested in a new Black Sea grain deal, Reuters reported.
Sources: Reuters reporting on Murmansk Commercial Seaport and Demetra Holding statements (28 October 2026); UkrAgroConsult market data.
