Since Russia quit the Black Sea Grain deal, the country has been nightly attacking Ukrainian port cities, Odeas and Mykolaiv. Moscow has described the port attacks as revenge for a Ukrainian strike on Russia's bridge to Crimea on Monday, Reuters reported.

The Black Sea escalation pushed U.S. wheat futures up on Thursday, after they jumped 8.5% on Wednesday, their fastest single day rise since the initial days of Russia's invasion in February last year.

Major grain importers in the Middle East and North Africa have reacted calmly however to the end of the safe shipping corridor, European commodity traders said, and there was no panic buying.