Black Sea

Zelensky halts drone strikes on Black Sea oil tankers in Russian port after demand from US VP Vance

Ukraine agreed to not target non-Russian ships, so long as they were not sanctioned by Ukraine or carrying any Russian cargo.  

A member of "Timur's Special Forces Unit" of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine waits on a military boat next to Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, located in the Black Sea, on August 14, 2025.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shake hands during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on June 23, 2025.

Iran considered targeting Ukraine with ballistic missiles after strike on Iranian ship - report

Screengrab of smoke rising from Russian port, July 4, 2026.

Ukranian drone debris damages Russia's Ust-Luga, Vysotsk ports, other regions report attacks

The Mongolia-flagged cargo ship "Azra C" lies at anchor in the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul on June 4, 2026.

Casualties confirmed after Russian drone hits Turkish dry cargo vessel, Ukrainian Navy says


Ships backed up in Black Sea lanes as Russia warning shots raise tensions

A traffic jam is building up in Black Sea ports as the Russia-Ukraine war begins to affect nearby trade routes.

 The cargo ship Mehmet Bey waits to pass through the Bosphorus Strait off the shores of Yenikapi during a misty morning in Istanbul, Turkey, October 31, 2022

Romania deploys ship, chopper to find stray Black Sea mines

Mines placed in the Black Sea during the Ruusia-Ukraine war are now drifting into the territory of other countries.

 Turkish Navy's Aydin class mine hunting vessel TCG Akcay sails in the Bosphorus on its way to the Black Sea in Istanbul, Turkey March 26, 2022.

Russian warship fires on dry cargo ship near Ukraine - defense ministry

Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired with automatic weapons on the "Sukru Okan" vessel after the captain did not respond to a request to halt for an inspection.

 A warship of the Russian Black Sea fleet leaves a port during naval drills in Sevastopol, Crimea, in this still image taken from video released February 12, 2022.

Putin, Erdogan to discuss stalled Ukraine grain deal amid rising food prices

The halt of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, previously brokered by the UN and Turkey, has caused global food prices to surge after months of stability.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meet on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan October 13, 2022.

Ukraine mocks Russian warship hit by drone overnight

Footage shared online of the attack from a camera on one of the drones showed the drone ramming into the warship.

 A sea drone shows the silhouette of Olenegorsky Gornyak ship near the port of Novorossiysk, Russia, in this screengrab obtained from social media video released on August 4, 2023.

Russian warship damaged in Ukrainian drone attack on Black Sea navy base

The attack prompted the Novorossiysk port to temporarily halt all ship movement.

 Russian Navy vessels are anchored in a bay of the Black Sea port of Sevastopol in Crimea May 8, 2014. Russian servicemen and sailors will conduct a parade to mark Victory Day on May 9, according to local media.

Blinken urges world to tell Russia: Enough using Black Sea as blackmail

"Enough treating the world's most vulnerable people as leverage. Enough of this unjustified unconscionable war," Blinken stated.

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Bejing, China, June 18, 2023.

Russian drone attacks 40,000 tons of Ukrainian grain destined for Israel

Buildings and silos alike went up in flames following alleged Russian drone attacks.

 Russian Navy's patrol ship Bykov class corvette Dmitry Rogachev sails in Bosphorus, on its way to the Black Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey February 16, 2022 (Illustrative).

Russia hits port, grain silo in Ukraine's Odesa region

Also, for the first time since the expiration of the grain deal, several foreign cargo ships arrived in the Izmail port via the Black Sea on Sunday, Ukrainian media reported.

A view shows a grain warehouse destroyed by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a compound of an agricultural company in the village of Pavlivka, in Odesa region, Ukraine July 21, 2023.

Israeli vessel breaks through Moscow’s Black Sea grain blockade - report

Russia stepped away from an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain from its ports in mid-July.

Grain field