Russia is expanding the geography of its grain exports and redirecting part of its cargo flows from the Black Sea toward the Baltic Sea and Arctic ports. Terminals previously focused mainly on fertilizers, coal and other bulk cargoes are being adapted to handle grain. Reuters links this shift to disruptions affecting Black Sea logistics. In the 2025/26 season, Russia exported around 46.3 million tonnes of grain through the Azov-Black Sea basin, accounting for approximately 90% of its seaborne grain shipments.
One of the main new locations is Ust-Luga. The Ultramar terminal, traditionally focused on mineral fertilizers, began handling grain in August. Rail applications for grain deliveries to the terminal reached approximately 260,000 tonnes in September, with Egypt and Saudi Arabia among the intended destinations. Several terminals in St. Petersburg are also beginning to handle grain cargoes.
The next route is expected to be Murmansk. Murmansk Commercial Seaport, with annual throughput capacity of up to 24 million tonnes of cargo, plans to begin handling grain in October 2026. The first shipment of around 40,000 tonnes is expected to arrive by rail from Russia’s Stavropol region. One advantage of Murmansk is its ability to accommodate large Panamax vessels, although grain must be transported over a considerable distance: the port is around 2,700 km from Novorossiysk.
The Baltic route is already expanding. In the first half of 2026, Russian Baltic ports handled around 1.2 million tonnes of grain, compared with 865,000 tonnes a year earlier. Vysotsk increased throughput to 694,000 tonnes and St. Petersburg to 105,000 tonnes, while Ust-Luga handled around 260,000 tonnes. However, existing Baltic grain-handling capacity is estimated at only 2–7 million tonnes per year, compared with more than 60 million tonnes at Russia’s southern ports. Baltic and Arctic ports therefore currently serve primarily as additional and backup export corridors rather than a full replacement for Black Sea logistics.