Splash has reported on
four international merchant ships coming under attack over the past five weeks,
the first confirmed strikes on commercial vessels since November last year. “Amid increased Russian terror, Ukraine has
officially appealed to the International Maritime Organization to immediately
send an international monitoring mission to the ports,” foreign minister
Andrii Sybiha told a briefing in Odesa after meeting his counterparts from the
Nordic-Baltic Eight group yesterday.
In a post on social
media last week as attacks intensified, Sybiha wrote: “This is a deliberate
terrorist tactic. We must join forces of
all responsible states and organisations to…ensure freedom of navigation in the
Black Sea and global food security.”
“Vessels operating in
the Black Sea should conduct comprehensive dynamic voyage threat assessments,”
maritime security consultant Ambrey said in a recent advisory note, adding: “Vessels
calling in Ukraine should review their emergency response protocols for attacks
on Ukrainian ports. During aerial attacks on port infrastructure, crew members
should remain inside the vessel’s superstructure.”
Since July 2023, when the United Nations-brokered
Black Sea Grain Initiative fell apart, Ukraine has managed to create an export
corridor that sees vessels leave the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny to
go either via the Danube or hug the coastlines of Bulgaria and Romania to head
to international markets.
Before these recent
strikes, Ukraine’s grain exports had been running at their fastest pace since
the beginning of the conflict with Russia.nAnalysis from broker Braemar shows
that grain exports from the Black Sea have seen a considerable shift in age
profile, with older vessels predominating.
The share of bulkers
aged 20+ years has expanded to more than a third this year from around
15% in 2020, the majority small handysizes of 20,000 to 34,900 dwt and older
panamaxes. Conversely, bulkers of less than 10 years of age have seen their
market share in this trade slump from almost half in 2020 to just 10% over the
last five years.