The drone war in the Black Sea has changed global shipping

Ukrainian and Russian drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea have changed the rules of civilian shipping. The involvement of merchant ships in military conflict threatens to drive up insurance and security costs, which could ultimately impact global trade.

This was reported by Politico.

The occupying forces are actively attacking civilian vessels in the Black Sea. In July, ten sailors were killed as a result of a Russian missile strike on a cargo ship near Odesa. In early August, Russian drones attacked two more cargo ships in the Black Sea—one belonged to a German company, and the other was linked to Lebanon.

In recent months, Ukraine has also stepped up strikes against Russian-linked merchant ships in the Black and Azov Seas. Over a 12-day period in July, Ukrainian drones struck 172 vessels ofthe “shadow fleet.” These strikes not only caused material damage to Moscow but also forced it to divert resources to protect maritime transport. 

Civilian shipping is becoming dangerous. Vessels unrelated to the war are at risk. Their owners are forced to consider protective technologies, the costs of which will be passed on to consumers. Ultimately, this will affect the cost of international trade and goods. Meanwhile, the increase in the number of attacks at sea could trigger a sort of “arms race.”

Earlier, Russia rejected a moratorium on attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea. It also rejected a return to a version of the 2022–2023 Grain Agreement, which Russia ultimately scuttled in July 2023.

Юлія Калабайда