Ukraine launched a heavy drone assault on warships and major Russian grain export terminals in the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk, prompting warnings about food markets. The attack targeted Russian grain infrastructure at a key shipping hub.
Separately, Russia's blockade of the Black Sea is trapping Ukraine's own harvest, causing despair among Ukrainian farmers. Around 90% of Ukraine's exports of wheat, corn and sunflower—commodities for which it is among the world's largest producers—normally pass through the Black Sea. The blockade now threatens that vital trade route.
The two developments underscore how the Black Sea has become a critical front in the conflict, with both sides striking at each other's grain exports. The drone assault on Novorossiysk signals Ukraine's ability to hit Russian export capacity, while the blockade continues to choke Ukrainian agricultural trade.