Ukraine warns grain storage could fill by November as Russian attacks choke exports
Ukraine may run short of grain storage capacity as early as November if Russian attacks continue to disrupt exports, Agriculture and Food Minister Taras Vysotskyi told hromadske.
Ukraine is currently exporting agricultural products at only about 30% of the level needed and is seeking alternative routes after Russian attacks disrupted shipping through its main Black Sea ports.
About 90% of Ukraine’s exports of grain, oilseeds and processed products went through the ports of Greater Odesa in the first half of 2026, according to Vysotskyi. Russian attacks on civilian vessels carrying food have since led ships to stop entering the ports, bringing exports through the route to a halt.
Ukraine expects to harvest more than 80 million tons of grain and oilseeds this year, roughly in line with last year. But with exports severely constrained, storage facilities are filling as the harvest continues.
At the current export rate, additional storage capacity will be needed by November, Vysotskyi said. Ukraine is seeking temporary grain storage sleeves, each capable of holding about 250 tons, particularly for small farms and those in frontline regions.
International partners, including the World Food Programme, the European Union, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and other organizations, have already pledged $11 million for temporary storage. Ukraine is also discussing another $25 million in support with the World Bank.
At the same time, Ukraine is trying to expand alternative export routes via the Danube and Romania’s port of Constanța, as well as by rail across its western borders. The immediate goal is to raise exports from the current 30% to about 50% of Ukraine’s export potential, which Vysotskyi said would already be physically difficult to exceed using alternative routes.
The consequences could extend far beyond Ukraine. Vysotskyi warned that if the disruption of port exports continues, as much as 30 million tons of Ukrainian agricultural products could fail to reach international markets.
He said the impact on global food prices has so far been limited because countries across the Northern Hemisphere are currently harvesting their crops. But if the disruption continues for several more months, Vysotskyi estimated that global prices could rise by as much as 30%, with the most vulnerable food-importing countries facing the greatest impact.