Russia has temporarily suspended commercial navigation through the Kerch Strait and the Don-Azov Canal following a massive, coordinated Ukrainian drone campaign targeting Moscow’s maritime logistics and oil infrastructure.
According to Reuters, the Russian Border Guard Service has stopped accepting applications from shipping companies seeking passage through the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black and Azov seas. Officials have not provided a timeline for when transit might resume.
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The suspension was triggered by a series of Ukrainian strikes on Russian vessels operating in the region, focusing heavily on oil tankers.
The halt in shipping immediately impacted global agricultural markets. The Azov Sea is a critical maritime artery, handling up to 25% of Russia’s wheat exports, with major agricultural hubs like the Rostov and Krasnodar regions located along its coastline.
Following news of the shipping restrictions, wheat futures on the Euronext exchange jumped by nearly 4%, reaching their highest level in six weeks.
Saturday strikes in the Gulf of Taganrog
The aerial assaults on Russian shipping continued into the weekend. Early on Saturday, July 11, Russian authorities reported another wave of drone strikes targeting vessels in the Azov Sea.
Yury Slyusar, governor of Russia’s Rostov region, stated that drones attacked four vessels in the Gulf of Taganrog overnight, including a tanker transporting methanol. Slyusar claimed the targeted ships sustained only “minor damage” and asserted there was no threat of chemical leaks or spills.
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