# Black Sea maritime security and shipping disruptions

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/20260919-black-sea-maritime-security-and-shipping-disruptions
> Updated: 2026-09-19T19:48:47.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2.

Escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine have severely disrupted Black Sea maritime trade, leading to significant congestion in the Marmara Sea. As security risks prevent many merchant vessels from entering the Black Sea, hundreds of ships have been forced to anchor off the coast of Istanbul. This congestion has caused vessel transit through the Turkish Straits to drop from an average of 200 ships per day to between 30 and 40, threatening a massive reduction in annual revenue and risking the viability of the Turkish river-type fleet.

In response to the crisis, Turkey has proposed an agreement protocol to both Kyiv and Moscow to halt attacks on commercial vessels, aiming to protect global grain shipments and Turkish shipping interests. However, diplomatic progress is stalled; Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed a proposed moratorium on attacks in high-risk zones, claiming such a measure would be ‘impossible to monitor.’

The situation remains volatile as Ukrainian forces continue to utilize drones to target vessels in an effort to disrupt the transport of Russian hydrocarbons and grain. Reports indicate that at least 90 ships were attacked in August alone, with a significant portion belonging to Turkish companies.

## Claims

- Ukraine and Russia hold positions regarding Black Sea shipping attacks that are difficult to reconcile. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Turkey submitted an agreement protocol to both Kyiv and Moscow to stop attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- At least 90 ships were attacked in August, with 25-30 belonging to Turkish companies. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that implementing a moratorium on attacks would be impossible to monitor. (corroborated by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-19: Turkey warns of difficult Black Sea shipping compromise

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warns that conflicting positions between Russia and Ukraine make securing Black Sea commercial shipping routes and grain transport difficult.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-warns-of-difficult-black-sea-shipping-compromise

### 2026-09-13: Black Sea maritime tensions cause shipping congestion in Marmara Sea

Black Sea tensions have caused massive shipping congestion in the Marmara Sea, threatening the Turkish merchant fleet and risking significant economic losses and environmental hazards.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/black-sea-maritime-tensions-cause-shipping-congestion-in-marmara-sea

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Cite as: Black Sea maritime security and shipping disruptions. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/20260919-black-sea-maritime-security-and-shipping-disruptions