Russia readies to reroute exports from Sea of Azov after Ukrainian attacks

Key Points:

• Russia is working to reroute grain shipments from the Sea of Azov after Ukrainian attacks on its vessels, with plans to use alternative shipping routes or other transport modes, according to Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
• Ukrainian drone strikes reportedly hit 11 Russian vessels overnight in the Sea of Azov, bringing the total number of vessels attacked in nine days to 116, as stated by Ukrainian military commander Robert Brovdi.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov condemned Ukraine’s actions as terrorism aimed at causing damage and intimidation, beyond acts of piracy.
• Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure, leading to a fuel crisis in Russia and prompting Moscow to ban some fuel exports amid rising global energy prices.
• Russian air defenses intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones overnight, but some attacks caused damage and injuries, including fires at oil refineries in Krasnodar and Bashkortostan regions.