Record-Low Danube Strains Vital Route for Black Sea Grain

By Nil Codina Martinez, Eleanor Thornber and Pyotr Kozlov

Aug 10, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Black Sea grain exports are facing fresh constraints as record-low Danube levels restrict flows through Romania just as escalating Russian strikes divert Ukrainian grain from Odesa and other ports.

The Black Sea is the primary export gateway for Russia and Ukraine, the two agricultural powerhouses that together account for more than a quarter of global wheat exports. Intensified attacks by both sides on grain infrastructure and vessels in the region have renewed concerns over the reliability of shipments from one of the world’s most important breadbaskets, adding risk