Ukraine has doubled its monthly grain exports year-on year despite Russian attacks on key Black Sea ports.

According to Ukraine's UGA traders' union, the country exported 4.2m metric tons of wheat and corn in July compared to around 2.1m a year earlier.

This is despite Russia targeting key Black Sea ports Odesa and Izmail, a port along the Danube River, with precision missiles.

However, Ukraine, a major global wheat and corn grower, has warned that overall exports for the 2024/25 season are expected to fall because of unfavourable weather impacting its harvest and the war impacting its ability to move produce out.

Before Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Ukraine used to export around 6m tons of grain a month via the Black Sea.

The country has managed to maintain a shipping corridor despite a UN-backed and Russian agreed Black Sea grain export initiative collapsing last year amid Russian claims that its own exports were being punished by sanctions.

News agency Reuters reports that Ukraine has not yet reported the destinations of its exports in July, but last season it exported most of its wheat to Spain, Egypt and Indonesia, with its corn mostly heading for Spain and China.

It said there were six shipments of corn from Ukraine's other two operational Black Sea ports, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi, in June and July to Rotterdam, Europe's busiest port, and Spain's Cartegna.

Since July, Ukraine has also shipped cargoes to China, Egypt and Turkey, it reported.