Russia is losing almost US$2.5bn a month due to Ukrainian port blockade – Russian newspaper

Operations have virtually ground to a halt at Russian ports on the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov due to drone and uncrewed surface vessel (USV) attacks, with industry players estimating that government budgets and businesses are losing out on more than RUB 200 billion (about US$2.43 billion) a month.

Source: the Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing sources, including OTEKO, which operates terminals in Taman

Details: Cargo handling at terminals in Russia's southern ports fell by 95-100% in September, and passenger traffic dropped by 85%. Cargo flows have been redirected to ports in northwestern Russia or overland routes.

Russian agricultural exports have also been affected. In July and August, 3.8 million tonnes of agricultural cargo passed through ports in Krasnodar Krai, compared with 7.9 million tonnes during the same period in 2025.

Kommersant reported that Russia's largest southern ports, including Novorossiysk, Taman and Tuapse, have begun cutting staff, with some employees forced to take unpaid leave or accept shorter working weeks.

Against this backdrop, Krasnodar Krai governor Veniamin Kondratyev has proposed that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev consider providing state subsidies to the region's ports along the same lines as those granted to airports in the region that have been closed.

Possible measures include subsidising employees' wages and the costs of maintaining and servicing equipment, silos, warehouses and berthing infrastructure, as well as covering electricity and utility bills.

The authorities are also considering reimbursing part of the interest on loans and borrowings intended to keep terminals ready to resume operations. On 6 October, Patrushev instructed the relevant ministries to consider the proposals.

Russia's Association of Commercial Sea Ports has also asked for government support, addressing its request to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

The association has called for a deferral of taxes and lease payments on federal property, wage subsidies equivalent to one month's minimum wage per employee, and more favourable terms for war risk insurance.

Russia's southern ports employ around 20,000-25,000 people. Experts estimate that providing support equivalent to one month's minimum wage per employee would cost Russia RUB 550-670 million per month (US$6.67 million-US$8.13 million), or RUB 6.6-8 billion per year (US$80.0 million-US$97.0 million).

Background:

• Ukrainian agricultural producers managed to increase exports in September compared with August, although Russia's continuing blockade of Ukrainian seaports remains one of the main economic risks for the agricultural sector.
• In August, it was reported that Russian grain exports, which bring around US$15 billion into the Russian economy annually, had been almost completely paralysed by Ukrainian strikes on ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

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