Ukraine Records 67 Attacks on Ports in July as Shipping Risks Mount
Key Facts
Ukraine’s Ministry for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport said Russia carried out 67 attacks on port infrastructure in July, 35 attacks on civilian vessels inside ports, and 22 attacks on ships in the Ukrainian maritime corridor. The figures show the widening scope of strikes across port facilities, vessels docked there and those sailing through the corridor. In the first days of August, the ministry recorded 5 attacks on port infrastructure, 3 on civilian vessels inside ports and 2 on ships operating in the corridor. The ministry said ports continued operating despite daily threats while addressing the effects of the strikes. Their continued operation places the attacks in the context of sustained pressure on maritime logistics, without indicating that activity at Ukrainian ports has stopped.
The ministry said the strikes threaten the stability of international logistics services, freedom of navigation, global trade and food security. This is particularly significant because Ukraine’s seaports serve not only grain exports but also the country’s foreign trade. According to a World Bank report, Ukraine operated 13 seaports before the war, while 6 were operating when the report was prepared. The operating ports included 3 on the Danube River and 3 deep-water ports on the Black Sea. This distribution highlights the maritime network’s reliance on both Black Sea and Danube ports amid risks to shipping.
World Bank data show the scale of the decline in cargo handling compared with pre-war levels. Annual cargo handling at Ukrainian ports averaged 164 million tonnes in 2019–2021, while total cargo traffic reached 62 million tonnes in 2023. Despite this decline, seaports handled nearly 60% of Ukraine’s international trade in 2024, according to the report. This reflects their continued importance to import and export flows despite lower cargo volumes. The ports’ ability to operate, as announced by the ministry, remains an important factor in the continuation of maritime logistics services.
Grain exports face constraints in shifting to alternative routes whenever Black Sea and Danube ports come under fire. The Associated Press said repeated Russian shelling had pushed Kyiv to rely more heavily on alternative routes to deliver grain to markets in Africa and the Middle East. Grain shipments transported directly from Ukraine amounted to 36 million tonnes in 2023, according to the World Bank report. By contrast, exports through the ports of Poland and Constanta increased by 16 million tonnes between 2022 and 2023, less than half the volume shipped directly from Ukraine. The report cited constraints including storage, railcar handling and infrastructure, limiting the alternatives’ ability to replace the direct route.
Concerns over shipping safety also extended to the incident involving the Liberian-flagged Conship Jet off Bulgaria, which the Associated Press said sank after being hit by drones. The vessel, operated by a Greek company, was sailing from the port of Haifa to Constanta, and the agency reported that some of its containers carried lithium-ion batteries and hazardous materials. All 18 crew members were rescued, including 14 Filipinos and 4 Ukrainians. The agency described the incident as the fifth drone attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone during October. Russia has not claimed responsibility for the latest attacks, while Bulgaria’s prime minister told parliament that the indications pointed to Moscow, but that this could not be proved.
Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey condemned drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and called for an immediate halt to attacks that threaten ships, maritime infrastructure and the safety of maritime activities. The three countries also agreed to strengthen information-sharing, early warning and coordination in the region. The move comes amid concerns that the risks could extend beyond Ukrainian ports to shipping routes near other Black Sea countries. Ukraine’s ministry said ports were continuing to operate despite the threats, while the three countries called for an end to the attacks and stronger maritime coordination. The statements did not set a date for a subsequent measure, but said information-sharing and early warning would be central to the agreed coordination.