Russia declares its Black Sea waters unsafe for navigation

Russia has warned all vessels of the dangers of navigation within its exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea following a series of attacks on Russia-linked ships.

Source: Bloomberg citing a Russian Ministry of Defence bulletin dated 22 July, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The warning cites a threat from drones. Russia's exclusive economic zone covers the approaches to several ports, including Novorossiysk – one of the country's key export hubs.

According to Ukraine's General Staff, between 8 and 20 July at least 124 Russia-linked vessels were attacked in the Black and Azov Seas, including 89 tankers.

Russia is simultaneously attacking the Ukrainian ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk. As a result, some shipowners have temporarily suspended calls at Ukrainian ports to load agricultural produce.

Background:

• Ukrainian strikes on Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea have matched or exceeded the intensity of the "tanker war" between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s.
• A drone attacked a tanker whilst it was loading oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium marine terminal (located in Novorossiysk), after which transhipment of crude oil was suspended.

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