Russia says it will meet grain export commitments despite logistics problems
In short
Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut said Russia will fulfil all its obligations to supply grain to the world market this season, speaking at the Bioprom-2026 forum, Interfax reported. Interfax said exports in the 2026/27 season have been complicated by logistics problems in the Azov-Black Sea basin, which accounted for up to 80% of shipments, and that alternative routes are being used. Preliminary Rusagrotrans data cited by Interfax put July-September wheat exports at 6.8 million tonnes, down from 11.3 million tonnes a year earlier.
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Russia will fulfil all its obligations to supply grain to the world market this season, Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut told journalists on the sidelines of the Bioprom-2026 forum, Interfax reported. Interfax said the Agriculture Ministry confirmed the commitment. RIA Novosti also reported, citing Lut, that Russia would fulfil its food export obligations. [ 1 , 2 ]
Interfax reported that grain exports in the 2026/27 agricultural season have been complicated by logistics problems in the Azov-Black Sea basin, which accounted for up to 80% of shipments. Alternative export routes are being developed and used, the report said, including shipments through Baltic and Far East ports and land crossings. [ 2 ]
According to a preliminary estimate by the Rusagrotrans analytical centre cited by Interfax, Russian wheat exports in July-September amounted to 6.8 million tonnes, against 11.3 million tonnes a year earlier. In September, more than 60% of supplies were shipped through Baltic ports, Interfax reported. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The documents describe Russia's obligations to supply grain to the world market, so the state of those shipments is relevant to buyers outside Russia, not only domestically. Interfax's figures indicate a sharp year-on-year fall in wheat exports in the first months of the season and a shift of shipments away from the Azov-Black Sea basin, which the documents say handled up to 80% of them.
Key facts
- Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut said Russia will fulfil all its grain export obligations this season, speaking to journalists at the Bioprom-2026 forum. [ 1 , 2 ]
- RIA Novosti reported that Russia will fulfil its food export obligations, citing Lut. [ 1 ]
- Interfax reported that grain exports are complicated by logistics problems in the Azov-Black Sea basin, which accounted for up to 80% of shipments. [ 2 ]
- Alternative export routes are being developed and used, including shipments through Baltic and Far East ports and land crossings, according to Interfax. [ 2 ]
- A preliminary estimate by the Rusagrotrans analytical centre cited by Interfax put wheat exports in July-September at 6.8 million tonnes, against 11.3 million tonnes a year earlier. [ 2 ]
- In September, more than 60% of supplies went through Baltic ports, Interfax reported. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The volume and timing of the remaining grain export commitments for the 2026/27 season were not stated. The documents give no figures for total obligations or delivery schedules.
- The reasons for the logistics problems in the Azov-Black Sea basin are not explained. Only Interfax mentions the disruption, and it does not give a cause.
- RIA Novosti described the commitments as food exports, while Interfax and the ministry statement it cited referred to grain. The two documents use different wording for the same statement.