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Image for representation purposes only Russia’s Baltic and Arctic terminals, which specialise in handling fertiliser, coal and other bulk, are being repurposed to export grain as Ukrainian attacks on Black Sea facilities have disrupted shipping. Moscow, the biggest exporter of wheat in the world, has seen a drastic reduction in port operations along the Black Sea Coast, through which 90% of its grain was shipped. This happened in the last few months due to continuous drone and missile strikes, which damaged infrastructure, including storage facilities and ships berthed at the ports. According to sources, a privately owned terminal on the Baltic Sea at the Port of Ust-Luga is handling grain shipments instead of mineral fertilisers, which it usually shipped. The facility called Ultramar has a 37 million metric ton capacity. Russia’s biggest grain and logistics firm, Demetra, was considering exporting its cargo from Ultramar, though there are no confirmations, a source familiar with the matter said. The terminal has handled grain since the beginning of August 2026, with most of it destined to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. This is the first time the terminal specialising in mineral fertilisers has been adapted to ship grain. Last year, Ultramar exported 16 million tons of fertilisers. Terminals at the Port of St. Petersburg, namely BSMZ and Modul, which did not ship grain, have now started taking wheat, with Modul handling around 70,000 tonnes of grain monthly, though rerouting grain shipments from these terminals is becoming costly for Russia. An industry expert said the Baltic terminals’ spare handling capacity is enough to accommodate grain without affecting fertiliser shipments. This strategy has boosted the handling capacity of Russia’s Baltic and Arctic Ports, which were not operating at their maximum potential until now. Their total grain handling capacity has been estimated between two to seven million metric tons, in comparison with the over sixty million metri
Russian Exporters Repurpose Fertiliser & Coal Terminals In Baltic Sea & Arctic For Grain Shipments
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