Grain exports from Ukraine by rail fell by 72 % in August

Ukraine’s grain exports by rail declined sharply in August. As of August 12, 201.7 thsd tons of grain had been transported by rail for export, down 72% from July and 76% compared with the same period last year.

Overall grain transportation by rail since the beginning of August reached 435.8 thsd tons. This was 46.9% lower than in July and 52.1% below the same period of 2025. Average daily grain loading in August stood at 31.3 thsd tons, down 38% month-on-month and 49% year-on-year.

The sharpest decline was recorded on routes to the Greater Odesa ports, which received only 75.2 thsd tons of grain by rail. This was 88.5% lower than in July and had a significant impact on the overall decline in Ukraine’s export rail shipments.

At the same time, grain flows are increasingly shifting to alternative export routes. Rail shipments to the port of Izmail reached 91.1 thsd tons in August, an 11.5-fold increase from July. Another 126.4 thsd tons were transported through western border crossings, up 80.5% from the previous month.

The sharp decline in shipments towards Greater Odesa is therefore being accompanied by a growing role for the Danube and western land routes in Ukrainian grain exports. However, higher volumes through Izmail and western border crossings have so far been insufficient to offset the decline in flows to the Black Sea ports.

Tags: grain, logistics, Ukraine, export