Russia has, for the first time, turned to an Arctic shipping route dating back to World War II to export grain, amid the fact that Russia’s war against Ukraine has halted trade in the Black Sea, while officials warn of risks in the NATO-controlled Baltic Sea. UNN reports this, citing Reuters.
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Russia, seeking to retain its key grain customers in the Middle East and Asia, has sought to redirect exports to Baltic Sea ports by subsidizing rail transportation from the fertile southern regions, but has also been considering opportunities in the Arctic.
The Murmansk Commercial Seaport and the Demetra holding company, one of the country’s largest trading firms, said on Wednesday, October 28, that the first shipment of 3,400 metric tons of grain from "key agricultural regions" was being loaded onto a vessel.
Murmansk, located nearly 2,000 km north of Moscow, near the border with Norway, can be reached through neutral waters. Allied convoys used the port during World War II to deliver goods to the Soviet Union.
"At a time when traditional export routes are facing restrictions, the Murmansk Commercial Seaport is rapidly opening an alternative route to foreign markets for Russian farmers," the port said in a statement.
According to shipping data and a market source, about 28,000 metric tons of wheat are to be loaded in Murmansk onto a vessel bound for the port of Casablanca in Morocco.
Russia has redirected its trade mainly to Baltic Sea ports, which handled 1.2 million tons in September, accounting for more than 60% of all grain exports by sea. Companies are repurposing fertilizer and coal terminals to handle grain.
Some Kremlin officials, the publication writes, have warned of risks from potential hostile actions by European NATO member states in the region. All countries with access to the Baltic Sea, except Russia, are NATO members.
Turkey, an importer of grain from Russia, led efforts to establish a ceasefire and restore supplies in the Black Sea, but Russia said it was no longer interested in a new Black Sea grain deal.