Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has turned the Black Sea into the world’s most dangerous waters for commercial shipping, the Financial Times reported. At least 40 sailors have died there since the start of 2026, compared with 24 who died in the Strait of Hormuz, where the war the United States and Israel are waging against Iran has complicated shipping.
More than 570 ships have come under attack in the Black Sea since the start of the year, according to the maritime security firm Ambrey and the International Maritime Organization. Some ships were hit by accident, while others were deliberately targeted. Both Russia and Ukraine try to disrupt each other’s maritime shipping to reduce export revenues.
War-risk insurance for the Black Sea now costs as much as 15% of a ship’s hull value, almost twice the rate for ships in the Persian Gulf. Nearly the entire Black Sea is now classified in the highest war-risk category, except for the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
Shipping oil from the Middle East through the Strait of Hormuz is now cheaper and safer by comparison. As a result, shipping companies increasingly refuse to operate in the Black Sea or use older vessels that are cheaper to insure.
Crews are recruited from Syria, Egypt, and Azerbaijan. The FT found that Syrian sailors earn about $800 a month working in the Black Sea. They are promised double pay for each day spent in the combat zone, and their families are to receive $25,000 to $50,000 in compensation if a sailor is killed.
Ukrainian forces struck more than 300 Russian vessels over an 11-week period, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said in September. The targets included sanctioned tankers as well as cargo ships carrying grain.
Russia has responded by stepping up strikes on ships entering Ukrainian ports. Russian attacks accounted for about 90% of strikes on commercial vessels over the past 45 days, according to Ambrey’s estimates.
The strikes are affecting global fuel and food supplies. Russian wheat exports fell 52% in September compared with a year earlier, while Ukraine is exporting only half its projected volume of agricultural products. Russian diesel exports fell by 467,000 barrels a day in September compared with a year earlier, according to Kpler.
The global effects of the war in the Black Sea are difficult to separate from those of the conflict in the Persian Gulf, Bloomberg reported. High global wheat stocks have kept disruptions in grain supplies from significantly affecting prices, while diesel fuel grew more expensive even before Russian–Ukrainian attacks escalated, because of the war the United States is waging against Iran.
The war in photographs
A family from Oleshky starts a new life in the Kyiv region
Vitaliy and Iryna fled the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in September with their 13-year-old son, Vlad, and their cat, Marsik. By then, residents had been left in complete isolation, without food, water, electricity, or medical care.
A drone damaged Vitaliy and Iryna’s home, prompting them to leave Oleshky and walk more than 20 kilometers (12 miles) along a mined road. The family traveled through Russia and Belarus to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory and is now rebuilding its life in the Kyiv region.
Russia and Ukraine agreed last week to a ceasefire in Oleshky for the evacuation of residents. It is set to take effect at 4 a.m. on October 27.
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