Russia works to redirect cargo flows after latest Black Sea attacks

Russian news agency Tass reported on 3 August that the country’s Ministry of Transport has established a special coordination centre to manage transport operations in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.

The centre is working to establish alternative logistics routes and redirect cargo flows to other modes of transport, according to the ministry.

The past two weeks have seen both Kyiv and Moscow increasingly target maritime assets in the Black Sea, with shipping analysts pointing to a near standstill in commercial vessel activity in the region.

In a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on 1 August that Ukraine had carried out strikes in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. He added that “sanctioned Russian container ship Yanina, sailing under the Russian flag, was also struck”.

“Thanks to the precision of our Defense Forces, it was sent to the bottom,” he said.

Rosatom, which owns the vessel through its subsidiary Fesco, confirmed that the vessel sank, with all 17 crew members surviving the incident.

The sinking marks the second vessel loss in the area following the reported Russian strike on general cargo vessel Golden Leo off the coast of Odesa. The attack killed 10 seafarers, including one pilot, while eight crew members were safely evacuated.

Video footage released by the Ukrainian president also showed another vessel reportedly hit in the area. The vessel has been identified as Greek-owned, 2006-built Aframax tanker Bourda.

Meanwhile, international media reported that Russia’s Ministry of Defence said Moscow had struck four Ukrainian cargo vessels in the Black Sea and at the port of Mykolaiv. According to the reports, the vessels were carrying or unloading military cargo.