Kernel estimates sunflower oil losses after Russian attack at 25,000 tonnes
A Russian strike on July 14 at a sunflower oil transshipment terminal in Odesa region damaged approximately 25,000 tonnes of product belonging to the Kernel agricultural holding and an American company that stored its own oil at the facility, the holding’s press service reported.
The fire was contained and extinguished within 12 hours thanks to the joint efforts of Kernel port employees, units of the State Emergency Service, and assistance from neighboring terminals.
As the company noted, this prevented the fire from spreading to other facilities and prevented the leak of sunflower oil into the Black Sea.
As reported, on the morning of July 14, a Russian drone attacked the Kernel vegetable oil terminal in Odesa region. This was the third attack on the company’s port assets in four days. There were no casualties among workers.
The attack resulted in the loss of a significant volume of sunflower oil stored at the terminal, including sunflower oil belonging to third parties.
The company announced yesterday that as a result of Russian shelling on the nights of July 11 and July 12, the port assets of the Kernel agricultural holding suffered significant damage, and their operations were suspended.
"The shelling damaged loading and unloading equipment, terminal infrastructure, and power lines. Grain silos and sunflower oil tanks were destroyed and damaged, resulting in the blockage, spillage, and loss of quality of approximately 45,000 tonnes of wheat and 9,000 tonnes of sunflower oil," according to a stock exchange report from July 13.
Thanks to the security measures taken, no employees were injured, as was the case during the last shelling.
Kernel noted that the timing of the terminal’s resumption of operations will depend on the elimination of the consequences of the shelling and the results of an engineering audit.
The company emphasized that attacks on port infrastructure pose a threat not only to the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, but also to global food security and international shipping.
Kernel also reported on July 13 that ships flying the flags of China and other countries were in the process of loading at the port at the time of the attacks.
As reported, the Kernel agricultural holding’s terminal in the port of Chornomorsk was already damaged by Russian drone attacks on the nights of May 3 and June 5. In May, the company’s vegetable oil transshipment terminal was damaged. On May 18, Russian drones damaged a Kernel grain elevator in Khmelnytsky region.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported earlier on Tuesday that strikes had been carried out on the port of Pivdennyi.
Kernel Agroholding is the world’s largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, the largest grain exporter from Ukraine, the operator of an extensive logistics network, and a leading producer of grain and oilseeds in Ukraine. It is also one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine and is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
For the first nine months of 2026, Kernel’s net profit decreased by 5% to $208 million, while its revenue increased by 0.4% to $3.09 billion, and EBITDA by 1% to $403 million.