Ukraine is ready for a moratorium on attacks on ships and ports in the Black Sea

Ukraine is ready to support Turkey’s initiative for a mutual moratorium on attacks on civilian vessels, commercial ports, and energy infrastructure in the Black Sea.

This was stated by Ukraine’s Ambassador to Turkey, Nariman Dzhelyalov, at a press briefing in Ankara marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, according to Ukrinform.

According to the diplomat, Ukraine supports the idea of ensuring the safety of civilian shipping and is ready to cooperate with Turkey to implement it.

“The Black Sea should not be a battlefield, but a sea of peace, trade, and cooperation,” Dzhelalov said.

The ambassador emphasized that Ukraine advocates for guaranteeing the freedom of civilian shipping. At the same time, shipowners, operators, and crews are urged to take military risks into account and heed navigational warnings.

The Ukrainian side is also ready to cooperate with Turkey to establish the circumstances of relevant incidents and strengthen the security of civilian maritime transport.

Djelalov reported that since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has damaged or destroyed at least 1,054 pieces of Ukraine’s port infrastructure.

In addition, attacks on 232 civilian vessels have been recorded, more than 30 of them in the summer of 2026 alone. As a result of these attacks, 307 citizens of Ukraine and other countries were killed or wounded.

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.

Earlier, Russia rejecteda moratoriumon 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 derailed in July 2023.

Андрій Колісніченко