Ukraine has also increased attacks on Russian shipping in the Sea of Azov and on Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers, which it claims are used to evade Western sanctions.

On Saturday, Oct. 3, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) reported that Russian forces had launched a strike against a civilian cargo ship sailing under the Liberian flag in an Odesa region port, killing one crew member and injuring three others. According to an official statement published by the USPA, thirteen crew members were evacuated to a safe location. The authority framed the strike as a deliberate Russian attack on civilian shipping, stating: “Russia has once again attacked a civilian vessel.”

The attack killed one seafarer and injured three others

The attack killed one seafarer and injured three others, while 13 crew members were evacuated. The statement comes at a time when security in the Black Sea remains a major regional issue. From grain routes and energy supplies to undersea cables, events in the Black Sea have direct implications for regional security. Russia’s attacks on civilian cargo ships bound for Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea are cutting off Kyiv’s vital export route, while Ukraine has also increased attacks on Russian shipping in the Sea of Azov and on Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers, which it claims are used to evade Western sanctions.

How to keep the Black Sea safe

Russia is willing to talk with any country about how to keep the Black Sea safe, but at the moment it is not involved in any discussions about two-way agreements. Dmitry Peskov, press secretary to Russian President Vladimir Putin, made this statement in response to a question about whether Russia is considering bilateral agreements with other countries, including India, Egypt and Turkey.

Estonia has banned the transit of grain from Russia and Belarus 

The transit of Russian and Belarusian grain through Estonia's territory has been prohibited by the country. The decision was made against the backdrop of Russia's war against Ukraine and attacks on Ukrainian ports, with Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stating that Russia is attacking Ukrainian ports, blocking the export of Ukrainian grain and seeking new routes to transport its own grain, but that Estonia will not provide such a route.

Related: A grain ship has been hit in the Black Sea, resulting in the death of multiple crew members.

Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports

"Ukraine's ports have been attacked by Russia, its grain exports have been blocked, and then new routes for its own grain have been sought. Estonia will not provide one,’ wrote Tsahkna in a post on X. He added that the Baltic countries are working together to ensure that their ports do not become a transit route for Russia. ‘I warned in September already: do not make plans to transport Russian grain through Estonia,’ he said. ‘Today, we turned that warning into law. Together with Latvia and Lithuania, we are working to ensure that Baltic ports do not become a transit route for Russia.”

Related: Reuters: Drones hit two tankers in Black Sea as Kazakh oil production plummets,

 Security's Transatlantic Security Initiative

On the other hand, following Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine, the Black Sea region has seen increased instability. In light of this, a task force of Atlantic Council experts was convened by the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security's Transatlantic Security Initiative, in partnership with the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA). The task force focused on discussing and developing actionable recommendations for enhancing the security and stability of the geopolitically vital Black Sea region. The strategic setting, regional challenges and threats, key planning assumptions, risk and risk mitigation, and finally DIME (diplomatic, informational, military, and economic) based recommendations for enhancing security and stability in the Black Sea region are outlined in this report.

Source: Agencies

# Black Sea region #Ukrainian ports # Odesa region port #Cargo Ship collision#Atlantic Council #Belarusian grain # Liberian flag #Russian forces