Escalating Black Sea attacks threaten shipping, grain exports

ISTANBUL

Escalating Russian and Ukrainian attacks on vessels and port infrastructure have raised risks to commercial shipping across the Black Sea, disrupting grain and energy routes and prompting warnings of further pressure on global food supplies in the autumn.

Russia has intensified missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s main Black Sea ports, including Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi, as well as vessels using the maritime corridor.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has expanded attacks on tankers and cargo ships it says support Russian military logistics and energy exports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Ukraine has lost about a third of its capacity to export grain through its Black Sea ports, with monthly handling capacity falling from around 6 million tons to 4 million tons, according to traders and agricultural groups.

Some shipowners temporarily suspended calls at Ukrainian ports in late July following a series of deadly strikes.

Ukrainian authorities said the state had not closed the ports and that operations continued, although traffic had been sharply reduced.

Unlike a formal blockade, the deterioration in security has been enough to deter shipowners and increase war-risk insurance and freight costs.

The pressure is particularly acute for Ukraine, which ships more than 90 percent of its agricultural commodity exports through ports in the Odesa region.

Agricultural economist Oleg Nivievskyi of the Kiev School of Economics warned that continued attacks during the autumn could place fresh strain on grain exports as new-crop shipments gather pace.

Countries dependent on Black Sea grain, including Egypt, could be forced to turn to more distant suppliers in the Americas, Asia and Australia, adding to transport costs.

Several Turkish-linked vessels have also been caught in the escalation.

The Turkish-managed Golden Leo was struck by Russian missiles after leaving Ukraine with a cargo of corn on July 19. Ten people were killed, and the vessel sank eight days later.

The Turkish-flagged Reyhan Sarı was hit by a drone on July 22 while carrying coal from Russia’s Taman port to Trabzon. One Turkish crew member was killed and others were injured.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Russia and Ukraine to suspend attacks in the Black Sea after the latest incidents.

“The conflict has spread across the whole Black Sea,” Fidan told Anadolu Agency on Aug. 8, saying attacks that had initially focused on ports and military vessels were increasingly affecting commercial shipping without distinction.

Bloomberg also reported that Türkiye had begun restricting the passage of some commercial vessels into the Black Sea, including ships bound for Russia’s Novorossiysk port.

Turkish authorities have not publicly detailed the scope of the reported restrictions.