Ukrainian strikes force Russia to halt grain shipping route — Reuters
Photo: Russia has halted shipping through the canal it used to export grain (Getty Images)
Following an attack by Ukrainian drones on Russian ships in the Sea of Azov, Russian authorities temporarily suspended shipping through the Don-Azov Channel, which they had been using to export grain, Reuters reports.
According to the agency, the Don-Azov Channel is a navigable waterway connecting the Don River to the Sea of Azov.
Market analysts note that up to a quarter of Russian wheat exports pass through the Sea of Azov.
One of Reuters’ sources reported that Russian border guards informed shipping companies that they would no longer accept applications to pass through the Kerch Strait, which connects the Azov and Black Seas.
All applications to transit the Kerch Strait, which connects the Azov and Black Seas, have been suspended as of 6:10 p.m. local time on Friday, July 10.
The statement from Russian border guards does not specify when the ban will be lifted.
Russia’s leading grain-producing regions, Rostov and Krasnodar, are located along the Sea of Azov. The country’s second-largest port in the Black Sea region is located in the Kerch Strait.
Amid reports of a possible closure of shipping through the Sea of Azov, wheat prices on Euronext rose 4% on July 10, reaching their highest level in six weeks.
Strikes on Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov
On the night of July 9, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Russian ships, an oil terminal, and an ammunition depot. Specifically, Ukrainian forces struck 12 Russian Navy vessels in the waters of the Sea of Azov.
A satellite captured images of damaged Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov following a large-scale attack by Ukrainian drones.
