On 14 March 2025, Russian military forces hit (likely by artillery as the most common event) Virivka, Kherson. Casualties unknown.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1. Summary

On March 14, 2025, Russian forces conducted shelling (estimated) on the Birivka area of Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. This is classified as a medium-grade explosive incident with the specific scale of damage remaining unconfirmed. Kherson Oblast is a key agricultural region in southern Ukraine, and ongoing combat is affecting agricultural production and logistics.

2. Supply-chain impact

• Agricultural production disruption: Kherson Oblast is a major production region for Ukrainian grains (wheat, corn) and sunflower seeds, with continued shelling negatively impacting planting and harvesting operations and agricultural infrastructure
• Black Sea export route instability: Kherson Oblast is adjacent to the Dnieper River estuary and serves as a key corridor for Ukrainian grain exports, with ongoing combat constraining inland transportation network operations
• Regional logistics network operational delays: Transport companies' detour shipping and rising insurance premiums due to shelling risks are expected to increase logistics costs in the southern region
• Energy infrastructure vulnerability: Concerns over disruption to agricultural processing and storage facility operations if power and gas supply facilities in the Kherson region become targets of attack

3. Watch points

• Additional attacks on Kherson Oblast agricultural areas: Intensive monitoring during planting season (March-May) needed to update 2025 Ukrainian grain production forecasts
• Dnieper River waterway and southern port accessibility: Track the impact of expanding combat in the Kherson region on inland transportation networks to Black Sea ports such as Odesa