Key facts
- Russia shipped 88,800 metric tons of wheat via Mariupol port since the start of 2026.
- Twelve vessels transported the grain over five months.
- Russia aims to use the port as a gateway for grain exports.
- Ukraine conducted missile strikes targeting port infrastructure.
- Russia has been systematically seizing and exporting grain from occupied territories.
Russia has shipped approximately 88,800 metric tons of wheat through the occupied port of Mariupol since the beginning of 2026, according to Ukraine's exiled Mariupol city council. Twelve vessels reportedly transported the grain over the past five months, citing data from Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor).
Since Russia's occupation, authorities have worked to restore the port for large-scale grain exports from occupied Ukrainian territories, intending to use it as a gateway to global markets. However, Ukraine's National Guard's 1st Azov Corps stated on June 10 that missile strikes targeting electrical substations, radar systems, and a sanctioned cargo vessel disrupted port operations.
Ukrainian officials maintain that Russia has systematically seized grain from its occupied territories since the full-scale war began, orchestrating exports through various networks in violation of international law. Ukraine's Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotskyi indicated that Russia harvested around 30 million metric tons of grains and oilseeds in occupied territories in the first three years of the war, with potential to reach 50 million tons including the current season. In 2025 alone, Russia exported approximately 2 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain to buyers in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Moscow also allocated 8 billion rubles ($107 million) in 2025 to support farmers in the newly occupied territories. Mariupol is considered a crucial logistics hub for Russia in southern Ukraine, connecting occupied Donetsk Oblast, Crimea, and Russia, and has been used for military cargo transport.