Madyar says fuel crisis and logistics problems are disrupting Russia’s harvest

Commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi (“Madyar”), has stated that the harvest campaign in southern Russia is taking place amid a severe fuel crisis that is significantly complicating grain harvesting. According to him, high diesel prices and logistical problems have made grain transportation economically unprofitable for many farms.

Brovdi said the greatest difficulties are being faced by producers located more than 200 km from export ports. Under these conditions, transportation costs increase sharply, reducing farm profitability. An additional challenge is the diesel shortage, forcing farmers to compete with military demand for fuel.

The commander also noted that barley yields in some regions remain relatively high, at around 5.5 tonnes per hectare. This is placing additional pressure on grain elevators, which are struggling to handle incoming supplies, while grain storage costs continue to rise.

Brovdi also highlighted transportation logistics as a major problem. According to him, rail freight remains dependent on the monopoly of Russian Railways (RZD), while sea freight rates have increased significantly. As a result, higher logistics costs are raising grain production costs and reducing the profitability of exports.

According to Brovdi, the situation could become even more difficult in the coming weeks as wheat harvesting begins alongside the barley harvest. He believes that the combination of the fuel shortage, overloaded logistics, and large grain volumes will create serious challenges for Russia’s harvest campaign.

At the same time, Madyar’s statements contrast with the official position of the Russian authorities. Despite reports of diesel shortages, rising logistics costs, and harvest-related difficulties, Russia’s agriculture ministry insists that there are no critical problems with fuel supplies for farmers and claims that seasonal fieldwork is proceeding as planned.