Russia has started using the Murmansk Sea Commercial Port for grain exports for the first time, trying to compensate for disruptions to Black Sea shipping. The first rail shipment of wheat has already arrived at the Arctic port, and a vessel is being prepared for further loading to deliver the grain to Morocco.
The start of the new export route was reported by the Murmansk Sea Commercial Port on October 28. Russian media also provide details.
According to the port, the first shipment from Russia's agricultural regions arrived by rail in 47 wagons. The total weight of the wheat is 3.4 thousand tons. The loading is organized by one of the largest Russian grain traders, Demetra-Holding.
According to Reuters, about 28 thousand tons of wheat are planned to be loaded onto the vessel in Murmansk for shipment to the port of Casablanca in Morocco. The agency cites information on vessel movements and a grain market source. Thus, the batch delivered by the first echelon is only part of the planned sea cargo.
For grain handling, the Murmansk port has converted transshipment infrastructure previously used for other bulk cargo. Wheat is unloaded from railcars through a receiving hopper and conveyed by mobile conveyors directly into ship holds.
This technology allows operation without intermediate storage of grain. A similar scheme was previously used in Murmansk for transshipment of potash fertilizers.
The reorientation of Russian grain exports is linked to restrictions on traditional routes via the Black and Azov Seas. According to Russian media, this direction previously accounted for about 84% of Russian grain export. However, in the summer of 2026, the operation of several major terminals was disrupted by Ukrainian strikes.
In particular, in August, major grain terminals of NKHP, NZT, and KSK were damaged and temporarily suspended transshipment. The total annual capacity of these enterprises is over 26 million tons. Disruptions forced Russian exporters to more actively use ports in the northwest of the country.
In September, Russia exported about 1.2 million tons of grain through Baltic ports, accounting for over 60% of its sea grain exports for the month, Reuters reports. Russian companies are adapting terminals previously designated for coal and fertilizers for agricultural product transshipment.
The Murmansk direction also has historical significance. During World War II, this ice-free Arctic port was used by Allied convoys delivering supplies to the Soviet Union. Now Russia is engaging it in grain export logistics. Murmansk is located nearly 2 thousand km north of Moscow, not far from Norway, and has access to the Atlantic Ocean through neutral waters.
The use of the port also allows Russia to diversify supply routes amid concerns about shipping safety in the Baltic Sea. At the same time, transporting grain from major agricultural regions to Murmansk requires a significant rail haul, creating additional logistical costs.
Earlier, the management of the Murmansk port reported plans to transship approximately 60-90 thousand tons of grain monthly. Even if such figures are achieved, the new direction will remain significantly smaller than traditional Black Sea export capacities.
The launch of transshipment via Murmansk indicates the continued reorganization of Russian grain logistics. Moscow seeks to maintain supplies to external markets, particularly to countries in Africa and the Middle East, despite growing risks to maritime shipping and damage to traditional port infrastructure.
