INFRASTRUCTURE AND PRODUCTION DYNAMICS OF THE SEAPORTS OF KRASNODAR KRAI IN 2010–2024

The article examines the infrastructure and production dynamics of the seaports of Krasnodar Krai in 2010–2024. Based on official data on port territories, water areas, berth length, storage capacities, and terminal throughput, the study identifies the scale and directions of changes within the regional port system. The aim of the research is to determine the nature of infrastructure transformation and its influence on the functional specialization of the ports. The analysis shows that the ports followed different development trajectories. The most significant transformations occurred in Novorossiysk, Taman, Kavkaz, and Sochi, where the expansion of berth lines, modifications of water areas, and modernization of terminal facilities ensured substantial growth in handling capacity. At the same time, the ports of Yeysk, Gelendzhik, and Anapa maintained stable infrastructure parameters and did not demonstrate notable shifts in their operational profiles. The study establishes a direct relationship between infrastructure modernization and the increase in terminal capacity, which determines the redistribution of functions among ports within the regional system. The results of the study make it possible to refine the directions of structural diversification in port activities, to demonstrate the distinctions between universal and niche ports, and to identify the factors shaping the current configuration of the port system of Krasnodar Krai. It is concluded that infrastructure dynamics act as a key driver of changes in the functional specialization of ports, explain their uneven development under the transformation of external economic relations, and determine the structural shifts within the region’s port system.