Industry data shows Russia could reopen 80% of Black Sea grain ports quickly
Three terminals holding a fifth of Russia's Black Sea and Azov grain infrastructure remain badly damaged, industry data show
Published
Map: The Black Sea, marking Chornomorsk
Russia could immediately restart 80% of its grain-trading ports in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov if diplomatic efforts to reopen the region succeed, according to industry data. Three terminals, accounting for 20% of Russia's grain infrastructure in those waters, are badly damaged.
The prospect of a reopening comes as talks over a halt to strikes continue. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russia's Kirill Dmitriev in Washington, a session that followed Dmitriev's talks there on Wednesday and a meeting between Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov in New York. Emmanuel Macron has proposed a mutual halt to strikes on refineries and energy grids, arguing that Russia treats Europe as Ukraine's strategic depth.
Fighting has not stopped while the diplomacy plays out. Russia says it struck a dry cargo ship at the port of Chornomorsk; Ukraine has not confirmed that claim. Separately, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces struck two refineries inside Russia overnight.
A reopening of most Russian grain ports would ease export constraints that have weighed on global commodity supply and prices since the invasion. But the diplomatic track remains unsettled: Macron's proposal is a moratorium on strikes rather than a lasting settlement, military operations continue on both sides, and any reopening depends on a negotiated outcome that is far from assured.