In an interview published on November 2, Rostov region Governor Yury Slyusar said operations at the ports of Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog and Azov had effectively come to a halt amid drone attacks. Speaking to broadcaster Don-TR, he said strikes on port infrastructure and vessels had disrupted cargo traffic in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
Slyusar said port companies still had to pay wages, service loans and cover rents. Their management was trying to avoid mass layoffs, but the sector's financial position was deteriorating rapidly. He warned that without substantial federal support, the region risked losing its port businesses.
The governor also said some grain shipments were being diverted by rail to Baltic ports, although the previous pace of exports could not be maintained. His description of an effective shutdown was an assessment, not an official order closing the ports.