Three grain industry sources told Reuters that Russia had introduced a temporary nighttime ban on vessel movements in and out of Novorossiysk between midnight and 5 a.m. because of Ukrainian drone attacks. The sources said the port was functioning as usual outside the restricted hours and that grain shipments had not been affected. Euronext September wheat futures rose 4.5% following news of the nighttime closure. The measure follows earlier traffic restrictions in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, while a government order published on July 21, 2026, banned vessels from anchoring in areas without air defences at the ports of Azov and Kavkaz.
Novorossiysk nighttime shipping ban
- ▪Three grain industry sources told Reuters that Russia had introduced a temporary ban on vessel movements in and out of the port of Novorossiysk between midnight and 5 a.m. local time.
- ▪The grain industry sources said the nighttime order at Novorossiysk was communicated verbally and that no official document had been sent to shippers.
- ▪The grain industry sources said Novorossiysk was functioning as usual outside the restricted nighttime hours and that grain shipments had not been affected.
Ukrainian drone attacks
- ▪Kyiv Post reported that a Ukrainian long-range drone attack on July 20, 2026, hit and set fire to the Cameroon-flagged tanker Nelsa while it was loading at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal near Novorossiysk.
- ▪Kyiv Post reported that a Ukrainian drone campaign launched on July 6, 2026, claimed effective hits on more than 120 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov and more than 54 in the Black Sea over two weeks.
- ▪Kyiv Post reported that Ukrainian drones struck the Liberia-flagged Asia and the Marshall Islands-flagged Nissos Ios at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal on July 19, 2026, setting both vessels on fire.
Russian grain export disruption
- ▪Following reports of the nighttime shipping restrictions at Novorossiysk, September wheat futures on the Euronext exchange rose by 4.5%.
- ▪Reuters reported that Novorossiysk is Russia's largest port by volume and handles up to one-third of the country's grain exports.
- ▪Reuters reported that Novorossiysk was seen as a likely destination for grain exports being diverted from the Sea of Azov.
Black Sea security measures
- ▪On July 21, 2026, a Russian government decree prohibited vessels from anchoring in areas without air defense protection at the ports of Azov and Kavkaz.
- ▪Reuters reported that traffic restrictions had been introduced earlier in July 2026 in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait.
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