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Russia has temporarily suspended shipping through the Azov-Don Sea Canal following Ukrainian attacks, according to Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter, UATV English reports.
Russian border guards informed shipping companies that, beginning at 6:10 p.m. local time on Friday, no new applications for passage through the Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, would be accepted. The border service operates under Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
No timeframe has been announced for lifting the restrictions.
The move affects a key maritime route for Russia’s agricultural exports. The country’s major grain-producing regions, Rostov and Krasnodar, are located along the Sea of Azov, while the Kerch Strait serves as a critical gateway for shipping from the region. Russia’s second-largest Black Sea export port is also located near the strait.
Market concerns over potential disruptions to grain exports pushed wheat futures on the Euronext exchange up by 4% on Friday, reaching their highest level in six weeks.
The shipping restrictions come amid intensified Ukrainian strikes targeting Russian energy and logistics infrastructure. Earlier this week, Ukrainian officials also reported that Russian forces had begun disguising fuel shipments in grain trucks on occupied Ukrainian territory to protect critical supplies from drone attacks.
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