OREANDA-NEWS  According to the results of the third quarter of 2026, the total volume of shipments of Russian wheat through the Baltic ports may increase by 5.8 times compared to the same period in 2025. This is reported by Interfax with reference to the preliminary forecast of Rusagrotrans.

During the reporting period, the figure may reach 3.93 million tons, analysts expect. For comparison, a year earlier the indicator was at the level of about 680 thousand.

Taking into account the rapid growth of shipments, the railway operator believes that the share of Baltic ports in the structure of Russian wheat exports will increase almost tenfold — from 4 to 38.3 percent. Separately, in October, the figure may reach 65 percent, the logistics company stated.
 
The importance of Baltic ports for Russian agricultural exporters has increased dramatically after the increased frequency of attacks by Ukrainian drones on bulk carriers in the Azov-Black Sea basin. Before the escalation, this area was considered one of the key areas for domestic wheat suppliers.

The attacks on the ships eventually led to the collapse of domestic grain exports by sea. Against this background, the government has decided to focus on stimulating the growth of rail transport in the Baltic region.

However, due to more expensive logistics, the transfer of supplies to the Baltic Sea will significantly increase export costs, said Albina Koryagina, a partner at Neo. Estonia's ban on the transit of Russian grain will also add to the industry's problems. Experts agree that it will be extremely difficult for representatives of the agricultural sector to overcome the crisis without additional state support.