Unannounced security restrictions at the Kerch Strait and Azov-Don channel remain after Ukrainian vessel attacks, while Moscow prepares alternative routes and says exports and domestic food supply will not be affected.
Shipping restrictions in the Sea of Azov remained in place after Ukrainian attacks on Russian commercial vessels, disrupting a route used for about a quarter of Russia's grain exports. Industry sources told Reuters that ships could still move within the Sea of Azov but could not enter or leave through the Kerch Strait or the Azov-Don channel, and said the curbs, introduced on Friday, had been communicated verbally without formal public notice. On Tuesday, Russia's Agriculture Ministry said it was preparing alternative shipping routes and other transport options for grain cargoes and maintained that domestic food supplies and export capacity would not be affected. Ukraine's military separately said overnight drone strikes hit 11 Russian vessels in the Azov Sea, including five tankers, five dry cargo vessels and a tugboat, while an earlier Reuters report cited a July 10 attack on 13 vessels, including 10 tankers.