Ukraine’s grain exports by rail plunge 77% in August

Ukraine exported 461 thsd tons of grain by rail in the first 25 days of August. This was 67% below the July level and 77% lower than in the same period last year, according to Ukrzaliznytsia.

Overall, 951 thsd tons of grain were transported by rail during the period. Volumes decreased by 42.4% compared with July and by 57% compared with the same period of 2025.

Most grain exports by rail are currently moving through Ukraine’s western border crossings, which handled 343 thsd tons. Only 56 thsd tons were transported toward the Greater Odesa ports, another 56 thsd tons toward Izmail for export, and just 6 thsd tons toward the port of Reni.

At the same time, domestic grain shipments to Izmail surged to almost 113 thsd tons, 6.3 times higher than in July. More than 1,800 railcars carrying cargo are currently heading toward Izmail.

However, the growing flow toward the Danube is being constrained by unloading disruptions at ports due to prolonged air-raid alerts. Since the beginning of August, railway operators have recorded 291 alerts lasting more than 219 hours in total, equivalent to more than nine days.

Tags: Ukraine, export, grain, rail transportation