Ukraine Seeks UN Help as Russian Attacks Target Ports & Ships

With Russia ramping up attacks on shipping and port infrastructure over the past month, Ukrainian authorities are turning to the United Nations for assistance, requesting the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to send a monitoring mission.

For the first time this year, four international merchant ships have come under fire in the past five weeks, marking the first confirmed strikes on commercial vessels since November 2022.

“Amid increased Russian terror, Ukraine has officially appealed to the International Maritime Organization to immediately send an international monitoring mission to the ports,” stated Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, during a briefing in Odesa after meeting with representatives from the Nordic-Baltic Eight group.

Sybiha also took to social media last week, as the attacks intensified, writing, “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.”

In response to the growing threat, maritime security consultant Ambrey advised vessels operating in the Black Sea to conduct dynamic threat assessments and review their emergency protocols for potential attacks. The firm emphasized, “During aerial attacks on port infrastructure, crew members should remain inside the vessel’s superstructure.”

Since the collapse of the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2023, Ukraine has developed an export corridor that enables vessels to depart from the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny. These ships either travel via the Danube or stick close to the coastlines of Bulgaria and Romania to reach international markets.

Before these recent attacks, Ukraine's grain exports were moving at their fastest pace since the conflict with Russia began.

Brokerage firm Braemar’s analysis indicates a shift in the type of vessels involved in Black Sea grain exports, with older ships now dominating the trade. The share of bulkers aged 20+ years has surged to over a third of the fleet this year, up from 15% in 2020. This trend largely involves smaller handysize vessels between 20,000 to 34,900 dwt and older panamaxes.

Meanwhile, the share of bulkers less than 10 years old has dropped significantly, making up just 10% of the market over the past five years, down from nearly half in 2020.