By Patrick Sykes and Weilun Soon
Aug 8, 2026 (Bloomberg) – Turkey is limiting commercial ship traffic into the Black Sea due to rising concerns from the government about increased Russian and Ukrainian attacks on vessels in the region.
The Directorate General of Coastal Safety has informed several ships headed for Russia’s Novorossiysk, an important hub for oil and grain exports, that transit permits are not being issued at this time or that they require more time to review applications via the Dardanelles Strait.
No official reason has been provided for this decision, according to sources who wished to remain anonymous as the information is not public.
This action effectively reduces the number of vessels entering the Black Sea, where a rise in attacks on commercial shipping, including ships owned by Turkey, has led Ankara to call for enhanced security measures.
The Directorate General of Coastal Safety redirected inquiries to the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry in Ankara, which did not respond to messages for comments outside of standard business hours.
Earlier this week, the Foreign Ministry reported that a group of crew members, including Turkish citizens, were injured after drone attacks targeted two Turkish-owned vessels.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry urged all involved parties, especially those at conflict, to quickly take effective measures to ensure navigation safety in the Black Sea. They warned that escalating tensions could have “multifaceted negative consequences,” including impacts on food security.
Some vessels have also been informed that the restrictions apply to ships going to Ukraine, as noted by anonymous sources.
This situation may complicate global trade at a time when oil supplies are already being heavily affected by the war in Iran and reduced volumes passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Ongoing attacks between Russian and Ukrainian forces have heightened concerns about supplies from the Black Sea grain region, contributing to wheat prices reaching a two-year high in July.
Vessels heading to Bulgarian or Turkish ports were still moving north through the Dardanelles as of 1 p.m. local time, according to ship-tracking data.