Russia steps up protection of Black Sea cargo ships, develops alternative routes

Russia has established a task force to find alternative cargo routes and protect ships in the Azov-Black Sea basin amid escalating attacks by both sides in the Ukraine war.

Russia said ​on Monday it was stepping up ​protection of ships in the ‌Azov-Black Sea ​basin while also developing alternative cargo routes, in a move that follows a sharp escalation of attacks at sea ‌by both sides in the war in Ukraine.

The Russian transport ministry said that in response to "the tense situation in the Sea of Azov stemming from hostile drone attacks on maritime vessels", ‌it had set up a task force to find new routes and switch cargo ‌flows to other modes of transport. "A number of stevedoring companies have already expressed their readiness to handle additional cargo volumes and accelerate shipment rates at their terminals, within the limits of their operational capabilities," ⁠it said ​in a statement.

Together ⁠with the defence ministry, "additional measures are being implemented to ensure navigational safety and to protect maritime vessels in ⁠the Azov-Black Sea basin". Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, and Ukraine, also a major agricultural exporter, ​have been attacking each other's agricultural export facilities and commercial vessels in the Black ⁠Sea area in recent weeks, driving wheat prices higher on global markets.

Russia's main grain lobby group warned on ⁠Friday ​that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian ships and ports could shut down grain exports via the Black Sea in the near future, pushing up prices and causing hunger ⁠in Africa and the Middle East. Ukraine's largest farming union, UAC, has also warned ⁠in recent weeks that ⁠Russian strikes on shipping near the southern port of Odesa were restricting Ukrainian exports in the key harvest period and could impact global ‌food supplies.