Ukraine Strikes Cargo Ships Transporting Grain in the Black Sea

Since the beginning of the week, Ukrainian drones have targeted five cargo ships attempting to transport Russian grain from the ports of Novorossiysk and Tuapse across the Black Sea. These strikes are a response to Russian attacks on the ports of Odesa. This was reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday, August 19, citing sources.

Following a series of drone strikes last week, the operations at three terminals in Novorossiysk, which handle more than 40% of total grain exports, were halted.

According to Bloomberg, on Monday and Tuesday, five cargo ships arriving for grain loading were attacked. They were flying the flags of Liberia, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Russia, and San Marino. Specifically, after a drone strike on August 17, a fire broke out on the Greek bulk carrier Anna S sailing under the Liberian flag, preventing it from continuing its course to the port of Novorossiysk.

On August 18, after loading grain, two vessels that were struck have resumed their routes. Another two ships, one near Novorossiysk and the other near Tuapse, were attacked before loading.

Additionally, Ukraine continues to hit oil tankers in the Black Sea. On August 16, a Ukrainian drone struck the Greek vessel Skiros, which was transporting Russian oil after loading at the Caspian pipeline consortium’s terminal.

The Ukrainian strikes against cargo ships in the Black Sea are a response to Russian attacks on the ports of Odesa and commercial vessels, which have nearly halted Ukraine's maritime exports in August. According to Bloomberg, if in early July there were about 15 ships entering the ports of Odesa daily, by the end of the month this number had dropped to one or two.

Together, Russia and Ukraine account for about 27% of global wheat exports. The attacks on ships and ports come during the peak of the harvesting season. Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies in Berlin, noted that in 2025 Russia's agricultural exports were around $41 billion, or 10% of the country's total export revenues. Agricultural exports from Ukraine account for almost half of its foreign currency income.

In the context of anomalous heat in Europe and rising fuel and fertilizer prices due to the war between the U.S. and Israel against Iran, wheat prices have already increased by 25% compared to 2025. The UN estimates that climate factors alone could make food access difficult for 50 million people.

According to Gabuev, if Russian and Ukrainian wheat do not reach the global market, it could lead to a sharper crisis in food security.