Black Sea shipping becomes extremely dangerous

Oleg Grygoriuk, president of the Ukrainian Seafarers' Union, told the Financial Times that sailing in the Black Sea and docking at Ukrainian ports is "almost suicidal," noting that seafarers are "putting one's life in danger at any moment." Since the beginning of the year, more than 570 ships have been hit in the Black Sea, resulting in at least 40 deaths among seafarers, compared to 24 in the Strait of Hormuz, according to figures cited by the British economic daily.

Attack intensity increases sharply

The situation has sharply deteriorated since the intensification of attacks this summer. Between July and September, 387 ships were hit, five times more than in the previous quarter. This surge in violence has made the Black Sea one of the most dangerous maritime zones in the world.

Experts describe the situation as unprecedented

Bridget Diakun, director of maritime intelligence and research at Lloyd's List Intelligence, stated that she has analyzed the effects of war on maritime trade for years and has "never seen anything like this." This escalation follows a campaign of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian ships, followed by an intensification of Moscow's strikes on vessels serving Ukrainian ports.

Insurance costs and ship choices rise

According to the British maritime security company Ambrey, Russia is responsible for about 90 percent of the attacks in the past forty-five days. Tomas Alexa, an analyst at Ambrey, noted that "just like Russia, they attack the decks of ships and the cabins," regarding the evolution of Ukrainian tactics. Facing the danger, many shipowners are abandoning this strategic route. War risk insurance premiums can now reach 15 percent of a ship's value, nearly double the rates practiced in the Gulf, according to the Financial Times. To reduce costs, some companies prefer older vessels, which are cheaper to insure.

Grain exports face new challenges

This maritime war is also affecting the grain trade. In August, Ukrainian agricultural exports by sea dropped to 1.4 million tons, 75 percent less than before the war. Russia, which has 80 percent of its exports passing through the ports of the Black Sea and the Azov Sea, was scheduled to carry out its first grain shipments from Murmansk in the Arctic in October, according to Reuters, to bypass the Black Sea. The Northeast maritime route, a promising but risky passage, is being considered as an alternative. Wars, droughts, and fires are surrounding wheat, an essential grain. Bombings in the Black Sea and the Azov Sea threaten the world's granary. Commercial ships hit off the coast of Bulgaria: "The war has come to us."