Russia issues Black Sea warning against ships going to Ukraine

Russia warned that from on Wednesday any ships travelling to Ukraine’s Black Sea ports will be seen as possibly carrying military cargoes after Ukraine said it was setting up a temporary shipping route to try and continue its grain exports.
The moves by both countries yesterday came just days after Russia quit a deal — brokered by the United Nations and Turkiye — that allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain for the past year, and revoked its guarantees of safe navigation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin however, said yesterday that Moscow would “consider” returning to the Ukraine grain deal if its demands were “fully” met, saying the agreement had “lost all meaning.”
It was the first time the Russian leader commented since Moscow this week exited the landmark deal, which allowed the safe passage of cargo ships from Black Sea ports.
“The continuation of the grain deal in its current form has lost all meaning,” Putin said at a government meeting.
“Of course we will consider the possibility of returning to it — but only under one condition: if all principles under which Russia agreed to participate in the deal are fully taken into account and fulfilled.”
He named the “withdrawal of sanctions on supplies of Russian grain and fertilisers to world markets” as one of the main conditions.
Ukraine has made clear that it wants to try and continue its Black Sea grain shipments and told the UN shipping agency, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), that it had “decided to establish on a temporary basis a recommended maritime route.” But Russia’s Defence Ministry then said it would deem all ships travelling to Ukraine to be potentially carrying military cargo and “the flag countries of such ships will be considered parties to the Ukrainian conflict”.
In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, it said the move would start at midnight Moscow time.
The Defence Ministry did not say what actions it might take.
Russia was also declaring southeastern and northwestern parts of the Black Sea’s international waters to be temporarily unsafe for navigation, the ministry said, without giving details about the parts of the sea which would be affected.
Ukraine accused Russia yesterday of damaging grain export infrastructure in “hellish” overnight strikes focused on two of its Black Sea ports.
Insurers were already reviewing their appetite for covering ships into Ukraine.
A cargo insurance facility providing cover for Ukraine grain shipments travelling under the Black Sea deal has been suspended, the policy’s broker told Reuters on Tuesday. The marine cargo and war facility provided cover of up to $50mn per cargo.
Norwegian shipping insurance group DNK, which provides war risk policies, told Reuters yesterday it was currently unable to provide cover for Ukraine. The Black Sea pact was brokered to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia are among the world’s top grain exporters.
Russia’s withdrawal on Monday also ended a pact between the United Nations and Moscow in which UN officials agreed to help Russian food and fertiliser exports reach world markets.